Current Events Speech - Earthquakes in Arkansas

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Current Events Speech - Earthquakes in Arkansas
I. Introduction
A. Attention-getter: You’re kicked back on the couch, watching your favorite episode of Rob & Big. All of the sudden the room starts to shake, your coke falls off the table, and the family portrait on the wall falls off and hits you on the head. So you probably think you’re in California, right? No, you’re in Arkansas.
B. Credibility Statement:  After lots of research I have learned lots of new information about this topic and like most of you probably are I didn’t even know this was going on, so I am going to share what I have discovered with all of you.
C. Thesis: According to Science News, since January 12, 1982 there have been about 20,000 earthquakes recorded in the North Center Arkansas area.
D. Preview: Today I am going to talk about their magnitude, location, and three of the possible reasons for these earthquakes.

II. Body
Transition: First is,
A. Main Point #1: Magnitude
1. Supporting Point: According to Science News, of the more than 20,000 earthquakes that have occurred in Arkansas, most of them have been minor and could not be felt on the earth’s surface.
2. Supporting Point: The smallest of the many earthquakes that have happened was a 1.8 in magnitude on the scale, this is the type that is barely noticeable. As said on CNN.
3. Supporting Point: According to the Huffington Post, some of the larger earthquakes ranged from 3.8 to 4.7 on the scales. These earthquakes can be felt from about sixty miles away. The most recent of the earthquakes being on February 28, 2011.

Transition: Second,
B. Main Point #2: Location
All of the earthquakes have been centered around the same area and have been happening for so long and occur so often that the residents barley pay attention to the smaller earthquakes anymore. As said in Commercial Appeal.
1. Supporting Point: According to the Commercial Appeal, most of the earthquakes that have happened have occurred around the small town of Guy, Arkansas.
2. Supporting Point: The town of Guy is located in Central Arkansas, and is about 20 miles away from Conway. That would be about 153 miles away from Hope.
3. Supporting Point: One of the other towns that has been effected is Greenbrier, which is located between Conway and Guy, and is also mentioned in this same article.

Transition: Third are the,
A. Main Point #3: Reason’s why
Scientists have yet to determine exactly what is causing this but there are three main possible reasons for this. They are debating rather this is being caused by human activity or if it is a natural thing.
1. Supporting Point: Gas drilling is the first possibility. Researches believed this to have may been a reason due to the drilling in the Fayetteville Shale, which is a formation of black rock generally found at depths of 6,500ft. In the past six years, nearly 3,700 wells have been sunk in Arkansas, according to Commercial Appeal. This possibility has been ruled out though.
2. Supporting Point: Also, Scott Ausbrooks, Geohazards Supervisor for USGS said, “Salt water disposal wells may have been a possible cause.” Disposal wells are created when drilling waste is injected back into the earth. Generally injecting it into wells that are 3,000 to 12,000ft. deep. According to UPI News Track (Consumer Health).
3. Supporting Point: The third possible reason for all of this is a pre-existing zone of reduced crustal strength has been reactivated by plate motions. Jonston says that, “The ‘Swarm’ may indicate that a small tongue of magma has worked its way up beneath the shallow Arkansas crust, and is causing minor earthquakes as it moves along.” As said in Science News.

III. Conclusion
A. Review of Main Points: The 20,000 earthquakes that have happened have ranged in magnitude from 1.8 to 4.7, they have all been in the Central Arkansas area, and research is still being done to try and figure out why this has been happening so often.
B. Summary: Although most of the Arkansas earthquakes have been mild, they are constantly increasing in intensity and frequency.
C. Closing: So, you don’t have to be in California to experience earthquakes, you can experience them right here in Arkansas.


Works Cited
“4.7 Earthquake in Arkansas Followed by 2 More.”  www.huffingtonpost.com. 28 Feb. 2011. Huffington Post, Inc. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. N.P.

Charlier, Tom. “Earthquakes rattle Arkansas town; residents blame gas drilling rigs.” Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) 27 Nov. 2010: Newspapper Source. EBSCO. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.

“Clues sought in Arkansas earthquake swarm.” UPI NewsTrack (Consumer Health) (2010): Consumer Health Complete – EBSCOhost. EBSCO. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.

Simon, C. “Arkansas: Shakes, rattles, but no roll.” Science News 123.1 (1983): 7. MAS Ultra –  School Edition. EBSCO. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.