Geoscience Currents transmit snapshots of the many facets of the geoscience profession, in-depth case studies of how geoscience is applied, factsheets that provide rigorous introductions to a range of geoscience topics, workforce trends, and career paths.
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Displaying 51 - 60 of a total of 88 items
August 29, 2018
By the numbers: Alaska
3,736 geoscience employees (excludes self-employed)1
315 million gallons/day: total groundwater withdrawal3
$3.53 billion: value of nonfuel mineral production in 20174
54 total disaster declarations, including 17 severe storm, 4 fire, and 13 flood disasters (1953-...
August 29, 2018
By the numbers: Arizona
6,703 geoscience employees (excludes self-employed)1
2.76 billion gallons/day: total groundwater withdrawal3
$6.61 billion: value of nonfuel mineral production in 20174
65 total disaster declarations, including 39 fire, 13 flood, and 10 severe storm disasters (1953...
August 28, 2018
Climate Science 101
Climate is the average of weather conditions over several decades.1,2 Geoscientists monitor modern climate conditions (1880 A.D. to present) in part by taking direct measurements of weather data (i.e., air temperature, rainfall and snowfall, wind speed, cloudiness, and so on)...
June 01, 2018
Introduction
When oil and gas were first extracted and used on an industrial scale in the 19th century, they provided significant advantages over existing fuels: they were cleaner, easier to transport, and more versatile than coal and biomass (wood, waste, and whale oil). Diesel and gasoline...
June 01, 2018
Introduction
Methane is the main component of almost all natural gas, and gas delivered to end-users is purified to 95-98% methane.1 There are three main sources of methane emissions from the oil and gas industry:
When a well is being drilled, cleaned out, or hydraulically fractured. As the...
June 01, 2018
Introduction
Oil- and gas-rich rocks are only found in certain parts of the United States, so most of the country has no oil or gas wells. Where oil and gas production is commercially viable, many factors determine the exact location of each well, including leasing, permitting, competing land uses...
June 01, 2018
Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Demand
Hydraulically fracturing a modern well can require millions of gallons of water for the initial fracturing process. This is a potential problem in arid regions with competing demands for fresh water (i.e. high water stress), such as Colorado and West Texas (...
June 01, 2018
Introduction
Geoscience – the study of the Earth – underpins our understanding of the many intersections between petroleum and the environment, from the search for resources to the study of air pollutants. Without the work of geoscientists, we would have neither the energy system nor the...
June 01, 2018
Introduction
Naturally occurring crude oil comes in many forms. The most familiar to many people is light crude oil, which is less dense than water and flows easily at room temperature. Heavy oil and bitumen are forms of crude oil that are more viscous (thicker) and dense. The largest crude oil...
June 01, 2018
Introduction
The U.S. has millions of miles of oil and gas pipelines, thousands of rail cars, vessels, and barges, and about 100,000 tanker trucks that move oil and gas from wells to processing facilities or refineries, and finally to consumers. The U.S. also imports and exports large volumes of...
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