Earthquake State

Fault Lines travels to Oklahoma, where earthquakes are now a daily occurrence, to find out what is behind the sharp rise in seismic activity

In 2015, Oklahoma surpassed California as the most seismically active state in the continental U.S.

Okies have long lived with the threat of destruction due to natural disasters, like dust storms and tornadoes. But earthquakes are a new and startling development.

Scientists cite the underground disposal of wastewater from oil and gas drilling as the chief culprit in the dramatic increase in state seismicity. But until recently a climate of denial persisted at the industry, legislative and gubernatorial levels when it came to admitting that Oklahoma’s earthquakes are man-made.

Fault Lines travels to Oklahoma to witness the human consequences of the frequent earthquakes—and to find out why state officials have been so slow to take action on the scientific consensus behind them.