Smithsonian Insider – technology

Biological fallout of shale-gas production still largely unknown

1 August 2014

$Eight conservation biologists from various organizations and institutions, including Princeton University, found that shale-gas extraction in the United States has vastly outpaced scientists’ understanding of the industry’s environmental impact. Each gas well can act as a source of air, water, noise and light pollution (above) that — individually and collectively — can interfere with wild animal health, habitats and reproduction. Of particular concern is the fluid and wastewater associated with hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” a technique that releases natural gas from shale by breaking the rock up with a high-pressure blend of water, sand and other chemicals. (Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment )Image of Wyoming’s Jonah Field, a major site of shale development. (Photo courtesy of Ecoflight.)$

RSS Feed for This Topic

3-D portrait of President Obama

Volunteers needed for massive Smithsonian digitization project

Biological fallout of shale-gas production still largely unknown

The Submillimeter Array: Celebrating a decade of discovery

Modern drone technology outpacing aviation laws: Q&A with NASM’s Roger Connor

Unlocking secrets–technology allows scientists to peer inside great apes

Non-insect invertebrates are focus of new global genome-sequencing alliance

Package-delivering drones? Q&A with Roger Connor of the National Air and Space Museum

Can iPads help students learn science?

VIDEO: 3-D scanning at the Smithsonian

Magnetic Imaging of Living Cells

“Hear My Voice”: Smithsonian identifies 130-year-old recording as Alexander Graham Bell’s voice

NASA’s IRIS spacecraft scheduled to launch in April

Sirius FM-4 broadcasting satellite donated to the Smithsonian

3-D imaging adds remarkable new understanding of North America’s mysterious Clovis people

Air and Space Museum receives historic IMAX cameras from NASA

See the U.S.A. on Paik’s “Electronic Superhighway”