Human-caused earthquakes are real. Here’s why even stable regions can snap

"On August 16, 2012, residents of the tiny Dutch village of Huizinge were rattled by an inexplicably large 3.6 magnitude earthquake."

"Places like Groningen, India's Deccan Plateau and Oklahoma are tectonically stable."

"Yet human activities - such as mining, oil and gas extraction, dam-building and tapping into geothermal energy - have set off unexpected quakes in these stable regions."

"Nevertheless, she says, developers should be aware and communicate to others in the region that an earthquake could happen. "We should account for the effect of healing and strengthening in hazard assessment."