(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. agency responsible for monitoringearthquakes has for the first time issued a short-term seismic forecast that includesboth natural and human-induced risks.

The report comes after an alarming six-year rise in theincidence of quakes throughout parts of the U.S. where some sevenmillion people may be affected, including pockets that could seequakes as damaging as those typically occurring inCalifornia.

The states facing the highest risks from human-induced quakesare, in order, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, andArkansas. The largest populations at risk live in Oklahoma andTexas.

Related: 5 tips for earthquake catastropheplanning

Earthquakes measuring higher than 3 out of 10 on the Richterscale reached into the hundreds in 2015, up from an average of 24between 1973 and 2008. Many of the temblors are what scientistscall "induced earthquakes" and have been linked to undergroundstorage of water related to oil and gas production.

A recent journal study by scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey concluded that water injectionwells with the highest rates, greater than 300,000 barrels permonth, are more frequently associated with quakes thanlower-volume wells, and that managing these injection rates may bea good way to reduce quake risk.

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