A small earthquake was detected late Thursday in Denton County.
The magnitude 2.2 earthquake struck just before midnight near Northlake, a small town about 45 miles (70 kilometers) northwest of Dallas, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Earthquakes measuring around 2.0 on the Richter scale are considered small, so there are no immediate reports of damage.
Typically, people report feeling earthquakes larger than about magnitude 3.0, the Geological Survey noted.
Until 2008, very few earthquakes were heard in North Texas, according to researchers at Southern Methodist University who map the state's faults. But since then, more than 200 earthquakes ranging in magnitude from 1.6 to 4.0 have been reported in the area. Many people associate this event with the treatment of wastewater from oil and gas drilling.
In February, people in North Texas reported feeling a magnitude 4.3 earthquake that occurred several hundred miles west of Dallas-Fort Worth near Harmley in West Texas. Last year, a magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck near West Midland, Texas, making it the fourth strongest earthquake in Texas history.
U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Jonathan Teitel said the quake was likely caused by oil and gas activity.
