Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a technique used to extract oil and natural gas from deep underground reservoirs by injecting high-pressure fluid to fracture the rock. This process enhances the permeability of the rock, allowing hydrocarbons to flow more freely. Hydraulic fracturing is significant in the energy industry but also raises environmental concerns related to groundwater contamination and induced seismicity.
Reference: Zoback, M. D., & Gorelick, S. M. (2012). Earthquake Triggering and Large-Scale Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(26), 10164-10168.