We Buried Wastewater — Then Oklahoma Started Shaking

Oklahoma injected enormous amounts of wastewater deep underground — and a state once known for very few earthquakes suddenly began shaking hundreds of times a year. Oil and gas production creates vast quantities of salty wastewater that must go somewhere. For years, deep underground injection seemed like the perfect solution: isolate it inside rock formations far below the surface and keep it out of sight. But beneath Oklahoma were ancient geological faults that had remained quiet for an extremely long time. This documentary investigates wastewater injection, induced earthquakes, underground pressure and how an industrial solution unexpectedly interacted with geology millions of years in the making. Subscribe to WE EARTH NOW for stories about the hidden chain reactions humans set in motion — and the consequences that sometimes arrive years later.