Tanya J Gallegos

Shale gas is a key source of onshore domestic energy for the United States and production of this resource is increasing rapidly. Development and extraction of shale gas requires hydraulic fracturing, which entails horizontal drilling, perforation of steel casing and cement grout using explosive charges, and expansion of fractures using fluids under high pressure. Concern over potential environmental effects of shale gas development is growing and based on a recent review there is very little information in the scientific literature on potential environmental effects of hydraulic fracturing. We propose to conduct the first broad scale, data-based assessment of the potential effects of hydraulic fracturing on water...

Categories: Project; Tags: All Working Groups, Completed, Energy and Minerals, Hydraulic Fracturing, Water, All tags... Water Resources, Fewer tags

Data Compiled on historical water use, spatial land disturbance, aquifer disturbance and uranium produced by In Situ Recovery of Uranium from Sandstone Hosted Uranium Deposits in the South Texas Coastal Plain, USA

This data release contains data on historical water use, spatial land disturbance, and spatial aquifer disturbances related to in situ recovery (ISR) uranium extraction per unit of uranium produced. These data were compiled from published and publicly available references including journal articles, government reports, industry reports and company reporting documents for regulatory compliance and financial reporting requirements. Six uranium ISR mines are represented: Alta Mesa, Kingsville Dome, Mt. Lucas, Palangana, Palangana Dome, and Rosita.

Categories: Data; Tags: Economic Geology, Energy Resources, Extraction, Geochemistry, Goliad Formation, All tags... ISL, ISR, Mining, Natural Resources, Texas, Texas Coastal Plain, USGS Science Data Catalog (SDC), Water Resources, geoscientificInformation, in situ leach, in situ recovery, in situ recovery, inlandWaters, mining, uranium, uranium mining, Fewer tags

Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR) and Short Wavelength Infrared (SWIR) Spectra of Select Rock Cores and Waste Material from Nine Uranium Mine Sites in Karnes and Live Oak Counties, Texas

These data represent laboratory reflectance measurements conducted on a suite of sandstone, tuffaceous mudstone and claystone rocks and sediment, which are known host and source materials for roll front Uranium deposits mined throughout the South Texas Coastal Plains. Visible through Near Infrared through Shortwave Infrared (~0.4 - 2.5 microns) reflectance were measured using an artificial light source attached to an Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) spectrometer. A total of 125 spectra were measured and analyzed, representing samples from nine former open-pit mine sites excavating rocks from four different mapped geologic units, including rocks and sediments from the Jackson Group, Catahoula, Oakville and Goliad...

Tags: Karnes County, Live Oak County, Mineral Resources, Texas, Texas Coastal Plain, All tags... USGS Science Data Catalog (SDC), hyperspectral imaging, mineral resources, uranium, zeolites, Fewer tags

Conterminous U.S. Air Stagnation Index, Number of Days, 2007–2016

Using the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Air Stagnation Index (ASI), the total number of days during 2007–2016 with atmospheric conditions conducive for stagnant air conditions in the conterminous U.S. are documented in raster format geospatial data. These data provide the number of days that would allow the temporal buildup of atmospheric pollution (NOAA, 2017). NOAA provides ASI data on a monthly basis based on a modified version of Wang and Angell’s (1999) algorithm. The air stagnation index criteria are defined as sea level geostrophic wind less than 8m/sec (meters per second) (if there is a temperature inversion below 850mb (millibars), then less than 10 m/sec), 500 mb wind less than 13m/sec,...

Categories: Data; Types: Downloadable, GeoTIFF, Map Service, Raster; Tags: Air stagnation, Atmosphere, Climatology, Conterminous U.S., Energy Resources, All tags... Geospatial datasets, Meteorology, USGS Science Data Catalog (SDC), Fewer tags

Trends in Hydraulic Fracturing Distributions and Treatment Fluids, Additives, Proppants, and Water Volumes Applied to Wells Drilled in the United States from 1947 through 2010—Data Analysis and Comparison to the Literature

Hydraulic fracturing is presently the primary stimulation technique for oil and gas production in low-permeability, unconventional reservoirs. Comprehensive, published, and publicly available information regarding the extent, location, and character of hydraulic fracturing in the United States is scarce. This national spatial and temporal analysis of data on nearly 1 million hydraulically fractured wells and 1.8 million fracturing treatment records from 1947 through 2010 (aggregated in Data Series 868) is used to identify hydraulic fracturing trends in drilling methods and use of proppants, treatment fluids, additives, and water in the United States. These trends are compared to the literature in an effort to establish...

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation