Articles tagged with Shale
A Caltech-led team has developed a new technique that can determine the temperature at which natural methane samples formed. This method uses clumped isotopes to provide an independent way to say the environment where methane was formed, helping to answer questions about its formation, storage, and chemical pathways.
The discovery of fossilized fish specimens from the Cambrian period sheds new light on the evolution of vertebrates. The fossils show pairs of exceptionally well-preserved arches near the front of their body, which led to the evolution of jaws in vertebrates.
Researchers propose using shale formations as a potential solution for storing spent nuclear fuel due to their impermeable properties. This would minimize the risk of water contamination and ensure safe storage for tens or hundreds of thousands of years.
Researchers have discovered a new Burgess Shale fossil site in Kootenay National Park, which may be the world's most important animal fossil discovery in decades. The site has yielded over 50 animal species in just 15 days of field collecting, contributing to our understanding of early animal evolution during the Cambrian Period.
The region supported 21,450 full-time jobs for workers in oil and gas, drilling, support operations, pipeline construction, refineries, and petrochemicals. The study estimates growth in full-time jobs supported by the oil and gas industry could potentially increase by 42.2% from 2012-2022.
Geologists are exploring shales as a potential site for America's spent nuclear fuel, with some formations showing natural groundwater pressure anomalies that can be analyzed on a large scale. A new computer model is also being developed to evaluate the behavior of various forms of nuclear waste and waste containers in different rocks.
A 505-million-year-old fossil, Spartobranchus tenuis, provides a crucial missing link in the evolutionary history of hemichordates. The finding pushes back the fossil record of enteropneusts by 200 million years.
A new species of acorn worm, Spartobranchus tenuis, has been discovered in Canada's Burgess Shale fossil beds, providing a crucial missing link in understanding hemichordate evolution. The discovery pushes the fossil record back 200 million years to the Cambrian period, shedding light on biodiversity during this time.
Researchers have discovered a global pattern in geochemical analysis that sheds light on the unusual preservation process of soft-bodied fossils found in the Burgess Shale. The team found that rapid burial in mud layers with low oxygen levels and the presence of calcium carbonate cement played a crucial role in conserving organic remains.
A new study by the Energy Institute at UT Austin finds no direct connection between hydraulic fracturing and groundwater contamination. The research identifies common oil and gas drilling issues, such as casing failures, as contributing factors to contamination.
A Stanford University geophysicist recommends stronger regulations for hydraulic fracturing to address concerns over water disposal and toxic additives. The expert argues that better regulation could lead to cheap, clean energy alternatives to coal.
A bizarre 'tulip-shaped' creature, Siphusauctum gregarium, has been discovered in the Canadian Rockies from Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale fossils. The unique filter feeding system challenges current knowledge of animal evolution.
University of Saskatchewan and Royal Ontario Museum researchers tracked a half-billion year old predator, Tegopelte gigas, using fossilized footprints from the Burgess Shale. The ancient creature was a large and active top carnivore with 33 pairs of legs, capable of skimming rapidly across the seafloor.
A new $750,000 NSF-funded project is developing a searchable database to track water quality impacts from Marcellus Shale activity. The database will consolidate and update water data collected by various stakeholders, facilitating knowledge generation and community engagement.
A $2.5 million NSF grant will support a program aimed at enhancing the public's understanding of science, engineering, and energy through community-based activities in Pennsylvania counties with natural gas exploration and production. The project will provide opportunities for residents to gain skills in scientific inquiry and build an...
Researchers developed a self-fueled method to generate electricity from oil shale, capturing and storing carbon dioxide underground. This technology could make billions of barrels of previously inaccessible oil shale available as an energy source in a greenhouse world.
This new book from The Geological Society of America features detailed descriptions of eight geological field trips across eastern Ohio to the Central Appalachian Valley and Ridge. These trips highlight the region's geology, covering topics such as paleontology, history, and industrial development.
Scientists discovered nearly pristine fossils of complex organisms preserved in oxygen-free waters, challenging the timeline of eukaryote evolution. The Lantian biota suggests brief oxygenation events allowed for diversification of macroscopic life forms.
Scientists discovered fossils of large seaweeds and worm-like animals, revealing brief oxygenation episodes in the Ediacaran Period. The findings suggest that complex eukaryotes evolved tens of millions years after the snowball earth event, which ended 635 million years ago.
Researchers evaluated five common green roof plants under various drought treatments, finding that saxifrage pink thrived despite its shallow substrate requirement. The study highlights the importance of selecting plant species suitable to rooftop conditions and substrate depth for optimal growth.
A team of geologists discovered that an ancient wind brought life to the region and preserved the dead in South Africa's Soom Shale. The unique structures found in the shale layers suggest that fierce glacial winds carried nutrients into the surface waters, fuelling prolific life.
Researchers from the University of Leicester and Cambridge have solved the mystery of how soft tissues in 500-million-year-old fossils were preserved. The team found that deep heating transformed delicate organic tissues into mineral-rich sites, revealing intricate details such as gills, guts, and eyes.
Geologists at the University of Leicester solved a 100-year-old mystery by analyzing the Burgess Shales rocks. They found that the rocks were instantly buried, preserving soft tissue in exquisite detail.
A Penn State and SUNY Fredonia team has estimated that the Marcellus shale contains 168 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in place, with optimistically suggested amounts as high as 516 trillion cubic feet. Horizontal drilling techniques could recover an additional 50 trillion cubic feet, keeping US production up.
The Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory will investigate how soils form from bedrock, affecting water movement and groundwater flow. Researchers will conduct field experiments and implement high-performance computers to predict weathering rates and model the impact of forest regolith on local water resources.
Researchers have found a 'whiff' of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere 50-100 million years before the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), suggesting a gradual buildup of oxygen. This discovery provides new insights into the origins of oxygen on Earth and challenges the long-held timeline of the GOE.
Scientists have found evidence that archaea and other life domains coexisted for at least 2.7 billion years, challenging current understanding of the history of life on Earth. The discovery was made in a deep Canadian gold mine, where oily lipid remains of ancient archaea were analyzed using advanced techniques.
A three-year project led by geologist Brandon Nuttall found that the deeper parts of Devonian black shales in Kentucky could store up to 28 billion tons of injected CO2. The analysis of 43 shale samples from recent drilled wells indicates that the area alone could sequester 6.2 billion tons of CO2.