Pohang earthquake may have been caused by geothermal power plant: report

A 4.6 magnitude earthquake that struck South Korea's southeastern city of Pohang may have been caused by a geothermal power plant located adjacent to the city, a research report said Friday.

The report conducted by researchers from Korea University and Busan University raised the possibility that the quake was an "induced seismicity," which refers to tremors that are artificially caused by the activities of humans.

The report, which was published in the latest edition of the international journal Science, studied the correlation between the quake and the construction of the plant, which involves pumping water in and out of a reservoir located underground.

"This research is meaningful as we have proved scientifically that the Pohang quake may be an induced seismicity," Kim Kwang-hee, one of the lead researchers, said.

The researchers pointed out that minor quakes with magnitudes over 2 frequently occurred in the city after builders started to inject wastewater underground between 2016 and 2017, while none occurred between 2012 and 2015. (Yonhap)