GEOG 30N
Environment and Society in a Changing World

Marcellus Shale - A New Giant Source of Natural Gas in the Appalachians

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Content from Previous Semesters

So far in this course we have discussed numerous of resources of great importance to the planet.  One very important resource that we have not talked about is energy.  The topic of energy thus offers us an opportunity to apply what we have learned throughout the course to something new.  Thus, as a wrap-up to for this course we would like you to consider the Marcellus Shale natural gas resource. The Marcellus Shale site is about 400 million years old, but it is only in the last few years that it has emerged as potentially a major source of natural gas for human use. The site is located mainly in the Appalachian sections of West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. This area is predominantly rural, but it also includes Pittsburgh and some smaller cities.

map of Marcellus formation in NY, VA, WVA, OH, PA, and Ontario
Image from USGS report showing extent of Marcellus Formation shale (in gray shading).
Credit: USGS

More detailed maps can be found at the Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research.

Reading Assignment

For further background about Marcellus Shale, please read this overview:

Marcellus Shale - Appalachian Basin Natural Gas Play

Some additional backround can be found from Penn State University Cooperative Extension:

Community Impacts of Marcellus Shale Development: Preliminary Research Findings - This article describes an effort to understand the views of people in regions affected by Marcellus Shale.

EPA to Hold Public Meeting on Hydraulc Fracturing Research Study - This article describes a community meeting being held to discuss impacts of Marcellus Shale on drinking water.

Finally, a couple of newspaper articles:

Big Money Drives Up the Betting on the Marcellus Shale, (New York Times, Joel Kirkland). This article describes the various corporations involved in Marcellus Shale. You don't need to know all the detail here, but you should skim this to get a general sense for how the industry works.

Marcellus Shale gas drilling put under microscope: Moratorium weighed as towns, people wary of potential mishaps, Don Hopey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  This article provides various perspectives on risks associated with drilling in Marcellus Shale.

 

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