NRES 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 22: Hubbert Peak Theory, Appalachian Mountains

• School: University of Illinois
• Department: Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
• Course: NRES 102
• Professor: Carmen Ugarte

Document Summary

Up to 1970 the us was oil independent. The hubbert peak: m. king hubbert predicted that oil production would peak between 1965 and 1970. Gas burns cleaner than coal and oil. Costs of gas fluctuate with supply and demand and season. Gas trapped in shale can now be accessed. The us has 100 years of gas reserves. Fracking: fractures shale to release trapped gas. Hydraulic fluids with sand are pumped into the pipes. The shale is fractured letting gas and fluid flow up the well. Gas production rose 20% and costs have declined. Fracking causes air and water pollution and increased earthquakes. Coal is the world"s most abundant fossil fuel. 45% of us electricity comes from coal-fired power plants. Underground mines causes land subsidence and fires. Worldwide fires release as much carbon dioxide as all cars and trucks in the us. Dynamite breaks overlying areas-- giant power shovels remove overlying rocks and coal.