3.5 magnitude quake shakes parts of northwest Oklahoma

CHEROKEE, Okla. — No damage has been reported following a 3.5 magnitude earthquake in northwestern Oklahoma.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake was recorded at 9:54 a.m. Thursday in Alfalfa County near Cherokee, about 100 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. The temblor was recorded at a depth of about 1.3 miles.

Geologists say thousands of earthquakes that have been recorded in Oklahoma in recent years have been linked to the underground injection of wastewater from oil and gas production.

Geologists say about 200 quakes of magnitude 3.0 or stronger were recorded in Oklahoma last year, down from 302 in 2017 and the third consecutive year of declines since regulators began directing producers to close some wells and reduce injection volumes in others.