In the Mississippi River Delta Plain, there are large expanses of floating marsh. This unique ecosystem is dominated by a variety of grasses and forbs, which can create a buoyant mat that floats on a layer of water. How these marshes form and some of their unique features are described.
USGS has recently published: “Shallow Coal Exploration Drill-Hole Data—Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas”. Data is available by state in MS Excel files.
An article on the NOLA.com website reports on the economic benefits that natural gas from the Haynesville Shale as brought to Louisiana. The Shreveport Times website reports on two new reality shows that focus on lifestyle changes brought to the area by natural gas money.
The-Vug.com has an impressive listing of mineral clubs organized by state. You might be surprised at how many clubs are listed and there is probably one that meets within a short drive of your home.
Lots of factors contribute to the natural gas prices paid by residential customers. Long term contracts and distant supply sources can hold residential prices high even though natural gas is locally in abundance. Residential customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Texas are paying above average rates for their natural gas.
Some of the first horizontal wells in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale of central Louisiana are yielding oil. Some researchers believe that the formation contains billions of barrels of oil.
Since 1972 the “Roadside Geology” series has provided introductory information on the geology of states and small regions of the United States. The books provide a combination of maps, travel logs, photos and commentary for the geology that can be seen along highways or visited at parks and public viewing areas. They are popular with geologists and others who are interested in the Earth.
The folks at MyTopo.com are now printing supersized topo maps – large enough make a huge 5′ x 8′ (or 8′ x 5′) map that will look fantastic on the wall of your office, conference room, lobby, cabin or den. These maps are custom-centered on any location that you pick using their online map-making tool. Lots of smaller sizes are also available.
We are affiliates of MyTopo.com and receive a commission on sales.
Raven Maps are beautiful examples of shaded-relief wall maps that display the elevation of a state in vibrant colors. These large maps look great in a classroom, den or office. Use one to mark the locations of your work or company.
The Energy Information Administration has an interactive map that displays energy infrastructure features in the Gulf of Mexico region. It includes power plants, transmission lines, LNG terminals, natural gas hubs, pipelines, oil ports, refineries, active platforms and more.
Natural gas companies can produce more gas from their Haynesville Shale wells than local and pipeline markets can consume. A liquefied natural gas export facility is planned for Sabine Pass, Louisiana that will condense natural gas to LNG and ship it to overseas markets.
The Marshall University Center for Business and Economic Research has prepared: Taxation of Natural Gas: A Comparative Analysis. This publication reviews the many methods of taxing natural gas 19 different states. You might be surprised at how many ways natural gas is being taxed.
Southwestern Energy has leased 460,000 net acres in the Upper Jurassic Brown Dense Shale, a potential unconventional horizontal oil play that straddles the border between southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana.
Archaeologists working with cleanup workers after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill discovered dozens of new archaeological sites. Public Radio International has a podcast interview with Chip McGimsey, Louisiana State Archaeologist.
Tropical Storm Lee has been dumping heavy rain on the Gulf Coast and while many areas are experiencing heavy floods, New Orleans, so far (Sunday evening), has not had severe problems. Some of the most up-to-date information is on the NOLA.com website (the site is very busy because so many people are using it and can be unresponsive).
Tropical Storm Lee is moving very slowly over southern Louisiana. That slow rate of movement will allow it to drop very large amounts of rain on New Orleans and surrounding areas.
“TROPICAL STORM LEE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 15 INCHES OVER SOUTHERN LOUISIANA…SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI…AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT…WITH POSSIBLE ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES. THESE RAINS ARE EXPECTED TO CAUSE EXTENSIVE FLOODING.” Quote from the National Hurricane Center.
A “crevasse splay” is a small delta-like accumulation of sediment that forms perpendicular to a river that is produced when the river overflows its banks. The Army Corps of Engineers is trying to make artificial crevasse splays to create new land along the lower Mississippi River.
In Louisiana, a pipeline carries treated waste water from a paper mill to a natural gas field in the Haynesville Shale. The water is being recycled for hydraulic fracturing instead of being discharged into the Red River.
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