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.
Several major natural gas drillers have developed a set of standards for hydraulic fracturing in the Appalachian Basin. The standards recommend practices for drilling, well design, water use, equipment use and public outreach.
The Maryland House approved a bill that would create a 7.5% severance tax on “all natural gas, natural gas liquids, and other fluid hydrocarbons, not defined as oil, which are produced from a natural reservoir.”
An article on the New York Times website explores the impact of sea level rise on the United States. Coastal flooding is expected to become much more common in the near future and millions of people could be displaced by rising waters. Florida, New York, Loisiana, California and the Chesapeake area are at particular risk.
“The U.S. Geological Survey deployed a temporary monitoring network of water-level sensors at 212 locations along the Atlantic coast from South Carolina to Maine during August 2011 to record the timing, areal extent, and magnitude of inland hurricane storm tide and coastal flooding generated by Hurricane Irene. ” Quoted from the USGS publication release.
A $1 billion pipeline has been proposed that will deliver Marcellus Shale gas from northern Pennsylvania to markets in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC.
This video provides a summary of work done by Katie Loughner, who served as a GeoCorps Intern at the C & O Canal National Historical Park. You can learn more about working at a GeoCorps Intern at the GSA Foundation website.
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.
Maryland’s Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Commission released a study that recommends a state severance tax on natural gas produced from the Marcellus Shale.
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 Delaware River Basin Commission will vote on a new set of rules for natural gas drilling within the basin. If they are approved a moratorium on drilling in the basin will be lifted.
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.
Dominion Resources is seeking permission to condense natural gas produced from the Marcellus Shale into LNG (liquefied natural gas) for export from their Cove Point facility at Lusby, Maryland.
“Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with help from an amateur fossil hunter in College Park, Maryland, have described the fossil of an armored dinosaur hatchling.” Quoted from John Hopkins news release.
MSNBC reports that researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have identified an armored dinosaur hatchling that was discovered in College Park, Maryland 14 years ago.
The Susquehanna River has been rising in response to very heavy rain. People living along the Susquehanna have been ordered to evacuate in New York and Pennsylvania.
“Rivers and streams are reaching record levels as a result of Hurricane Irene’s rainfall, with more than 80 U.S. Geological Survey streamgages measuring record peaks.” Quoted from the USGS news release.
Governors in New York, Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland and North Carolina have all declared a state of emergency in anticipation of Hurricane Irene. These advance declarations are partially financial maneuvers to make funds ready for emergency use, but they are also signs of respect for the dangers of a hurricane.
“The Marcellus Shale contains about 84 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas and 3.4 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas liquids according to a new assessment by the U. S. Geological Survey.” Quoted from the USGS news release.
Earthquake waves travel very efficiently in the crust of the eastern United States. As a result the Magnitude 5.9 earthquake that occurred today in Virginia was felt in at least 22 states plus the District of Colombia. Ground shaking has been reported to the USGS and by news accounts in: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Indiana, Georgia, Florida and Washington, DC.
About three billion cubic feet of natural gas is being produced every day from the Marcellus Shale, an amount that is expected to grow significantly as more wells are drilled. Moving that gas to market will require thousands of miles of new pipelines, ranging from small-diameter gathering lines that serve individual wells to main lines that can be three-feet or more in diameter.
“This process of longshore transport is responsible for moving sediment up and down coastlines. It can sometimes lead to the development of barrier islands and spits—thin strips of beach that generally form parallel to the mainland.” Quoted from the Earth Observatory image release.
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