Magnitude-5.1 earthquake jolts central Oklahoma

An earthquake that was estimated to be a magnitude 5.1 shook communities across at least five states on Friday evening.

According to data from the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred around 11:30 p.m. local time and was centered near the town of Prague in central Oklahoma.

Several people took to social media after the event and described hearing cracking walls and even a loud boom.

There were no immediate reports of damage in the first hours after the quake, but the USGS warned that the threat of aftershocks would continue for some time.

A series of earthquakes rattled the Oklahoma City metro less than a month ago, with the most significant being a magnitude-4.4.

Based on initial estimates, Friday’s quake ranked among the top four greatest events to impact the Sooner State since 1900.

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked the state in 2016 caused moderate damage in north-central Oklahoma, and studies tied the event to wastewater injection from oil and gas production.

The USGS has previously noted that many quakes throughout the southern Plains have been tied to human activities.

The agency said fracking – the process of injecting water, sand or chemicals into the ground in order to break up the bedrock to reach oil and gas reserves – can trigger quakes and impact groundwater.

It is still too early to determine whether human activities played a role in the most recent quake.