Geoscientists Working Together
Aishani Sil
Geoscientists are constantly working towards improving our lives by finding new energy sources,
keeping pollution in check, ensuring clean water and much more. Earth scientists have used
improvements in technology and scientific understanding to recently open up vast energy reserves
for commercial use. The new technology is called hydraulic fracturing; an example nearby is the
Barnett Shale Reserve. It takes a lot of coordination among teams of geoscientists to get the
energy extracted safely without damaging the environment.
Hydraulic fracturing is done by drilling a well into the ground and then injecting millions
of gallons of water, sand, and chemicals down the well at high pressure. This pressure causes the
shale to crack and release natural gas up the well. Then the natural gas is collected into a storage
tank from where it is piped to the market.
This process involves collaboration between many different types of earth scientists.
Petroleum geologists locate the natural gas inside the rock formations and find the best path to
extract it. Seismologists ensure the drilling does not disrupt the rock structures underneath so as
to cause earthquakes or land subsidence. Atmospheric geoscientists ensure air quality is
maintained at a healthy level following standards. Hydrologists monitor water tables which
supply drinking water so that the chemicals do not accidentally pollute water supply for nearby
towns. So geoscientists working together ensure the success of hydraulic fracturing.
We have an abundant supply of natural gas in the US which can be extracted using
hydraulic fracturing. Natural gas emits less carbon than oil. It also costs less to heat homes using
natural gas as compared to oil. Thus hydraulic fracturing provides an example of geologists
working together to ensure we get the benefits from a local, cleaner and cheaper energy source
while reducing dependence on foreign oil.
References:
Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin (2007, January 15). Barnett
boom ignites hunt for unconventional gas resources. Retrieved from
http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/news/?p=2922
Scheer R., & Moss D. (2011, December 30). Oil vs. Natural Gas for Home Heating: Which costs
more? Scientific American. Retrieved from
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=oil-versus-natural-gas-home-heating
The USGS Water Science School (2012, October 18). Land Subsidence. Retrieved from
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthgwlandsubside.html