Marcellus Shale
Geology of the Marcellus Shale: A Paleontological Perspective on a Modern Resource
What is the Marcellus Shale?
The Marcellus Shale is a black shale formation extending deep underground from Ohio and West Virginia northeast into Pennsylvania and southern New York. It has long been known that the Marcellus Shale holds natural gas deposits; however recent technological advances and commodity price increases have made recovering these deposits very attractive to natural gas companies.
Contents
- Marcellus outreach — a work in progress: An overview of the funding and intended outreach PRI is undertaking
- Geology of the Marcellus Shale: A short overview of why there is natural gas in the Marcellus Shale and the technology that would be used to extract the gas.
- PRI’s role in public education about the Marcellus shale: An overview of PRI's partners and role in providing outreach on Marcellus shale.
- PRI's approach to Marcellus Shale outreach: PRI's statement regarding providing science education outreach, without taking an advocatory position.
- Notes from the Marcellus: Essays on the news and findings regarding scientific research on the Marcellus shale and the impacts of shale gas drilling.
- The Science Beneath the Surface: Blog by PRI staff on the nature of science and vetting information for use in Marcellus outreach.
- Resources: A few selected websites that have additional information on resources on the Marcellus Shale.
Disclaimer
The aim of this website is to provide information on the geology of the Marcellus Shale and related Earth system issues. The geology is important because it dictates where natural gas will be found and why it is present, why new technology is needed to extract the natural gas, and what the impacts may be of extracting natural gas in these ways. Email any questions to marcellusshale@museumoftheearth.org.
