GEO 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Frost Weathering
27 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
25% of u. s. energy use (27% electricity: u. s. has reserves of ~340 trillion cubic feet (tfc) and more likely to be found, u. s. uses ~27 tcf per year, increasing, recent interest in exporting natural gas. Large global reserves, lasting 100 years at current rate of consumption: most reserves were in russia and middle east, new gas reserves are being found, including shale gas in u. s. Methane forms in wide range of settings: along with other hydrocarbons in oil deposits. In hydrocarbon deposits which have been too deeply buried: along with coal or shale. Gas extraction can cause: blowouts (inherent danger of flammable gas, leaks of gas and chemicals (hydrofrack liquids, proppants) into aquifers, severe groundwater contamination or depletion. Difficult to transport: lng (liquefied natural gas) lacks terminal for transport. As greenhouse gas, methane is 20 times more effective than co2. Burning methane produces half as much co2 as coal.
