Sometimes it's just a distant rumble, barely felt across the prairie. Sometimes it's a violent jolt that knocks dishes out of the cabinets and cracks the walls.With 585 noticeable earthquakes in 2014, and 2015 set to top that record this month, Oklahoma is now the most seismically active US state. Geologists say the tremors are caused by the injection of wastewater from the oil wells that pump crude out of seemingly every other field — the lifeblood of the state's economy.
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For many Oklahomans, it's become more than just a nuisance. With scientists warning the odds of a Big One are going up every year, and Wall Street starting to ponder the potential losses, VICE News traveled to the heart of the earthquake patch to see what's shaking.
A dramatic increase in earthquakes in central Oklahoma is widely believed to be caused by energy companies injecting waste water from oil production into the ground.
Mark Crismon analyzes the seismometer he's hosting on his property.
Tanks belonging to West Perkins Commercial Disposal store saltwater, which is a byproduct of crude drilling, before being injected into the ground.
Saltwater and crude oil residue dries around the base of the storage tanks at the West Perkins Commercial Disposal, a unit that re-injects waste water back into the ground.
An oil pump in a Perkins, Oklahoma field.
A decommissioned oil pump in Marshall, Oklahoma.
All photos by Sebastian Meyer for VICEThis story was produced with support from LG as part of the Photos from Beyond program — click to see more photos from this series. VICE News maintains all editorial independence in the production of this content.
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