James Saiers Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies "Changes in Freshwater Quality during Natural Gas Development of Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale by Hydraulic Fracturing"
The Marcellus Shale has been rapidly developed by hydraulic fracturing and is now the largest producing shale gas reservoir in the world. This rush to extract natural gas from the Marcellus, as well as from other shale plays, has outpaced careful consideration of the potential impacts to freshwater resources. While impairment of groundwater quality in areas of shale gas extraction has been reported, the causes remain unclear and contested. To help address this issue, Saiers' research team has taken chemical and hydrological measurements in freshwater aquifers and streams in Susquehanna County, PA, a “sweet spot” of natural gas production within the Marcellus Shale Play. Saiers will present and interpret these data in the context of local geology, hydrology, and the timing of the various stages of shale gas production.
James Saiers is the Clifton R. Musser Professor of Hydrology at Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. His research and teaching involve various theoretical and applied aspects of surface water and groundwater hydrology. Working with students and other faculty, Saiers makes measurements and develops models that can be used to inform management of areas vulnerable to water-quality impairment and freshwater depletion. His recent research has addressed groundwater quality impacts of fossil-fuel development, carbon and nutrient transport through watersheds, radionuclide migration through soils, and climate-change effects on the water-resources of large river basins.
12 - 1 pm
ESC 110 21 Sachem Street Light lunch will be served
