SEVEN earthquakes rattle North Texas just hours apart from one another

• Seven small earthquakes rattled North Texas hours apart on Tuesday
• No damage has so far been reported from the temblors
• The U.S. Geological Service plotted the epicenters of the first four quakes to northeast Irving, a Dallas suburb
• At least two of those could be felt throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area
• Seismologists also installed a new earthquake-monitoring device in Irving
• It took place after the temblors rocked an area which is near the site of the former Dallas Cowboys football stadium

By MailOnline Reporter and Associated Press and Reuters

Published: 02:05 EST, 7 January 2015 | Updated: 02:38 EST, 7 January 2015

Seven small earthquakes rattled North Texas hours apart on Tuesday, though no damage has so far been reported from the temblors.

The U.S. Geological Service plotted the epicenters of the first four quakes to northeast Irving, a Dallas suburb. At least two of those could be felt throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Seismologists also installed a new earthquake-monitoring device in Irving this week, after minor temblors rocked an area which is near the site of the former Dallas Cowboys football stadium.

Map: The U.S. Geological Service plotted the epicenters of the first four quakes to northeast Irving, a Dallas suburb in North Texas

The first quake at 3:10 p.m. measured 3.5 in magnitude. Another at about 7 p.m. measured 3.6, while tremors at 8:11 p.m. and 8:12 p.m. measured less than 3.0.

The first four happened within an area near the Trinity River that's seen a swarm of mild temblors in recent months.

USGS geophysicist Jana Pursley says Tuesday's quakes were the 'largest since the earthquakes started happening there in the last year.'

According to NBC DFW, a 1.7 earthquake took place close to a Dallas intersection at 9:54pm, and a 2.4 earthquake hit Irving's University of Dallas campus at 10:05pm.

A 1.6 earthquake struck at 11:02pm - and like many of the other quakes, was also in the vicinity of the Trinity River, the affiliate station reported.

The seismic series has left residents on edge, wondering if the situation will get worse and what has been behind an uptick in quakes over the last several years.

'The safety and security of our residents is paramount for the city of Irving,' said Irving City Manager Chris Hillman.

Some residents believe the implosion of Texas Stadium in 2010 may have exacerbated problems. There is also speculation the quakes might be related to hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking,' an energy extraction technique that has a long history in north Texas.

Trouble: Some residents believe the implosion of Texas Stadium in 2010 may have exacerbated problems with earthquakes in the area

Irving, headquarters of Exxon Mobil's XTO unit that helped pioneer hydraulic fracturing in the region, has two gas wells that were fracked in 2010, according to city officials.

The study by seismologists from Southern Methodist University in Dallas is aimed at pinpointing the quakes' epicenters, said SMU seismology professor Brian Stump.

About 40 miles west of Irving, a series of small earthquakes rattled the town of Azle a year ago, causing sinkholes and cracks in house foundations. Residents blamed fracking and injection disposal wells for drilling waste as the cause but an official finding is still pending.

Energy industry officials have said fracking is safe and causes no significant seismic damage.