USGS scientists deploy SPMD and POCIS samplers to collect waterborne contaminants in Manoa Stream on Oahu, Hawaii.

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• USGS Assessment of Brackish Water Could Help Nation Stretch Limited Freshwater Supplies
• First-of-its-kind Interactive Map Brings Together 40 Years of Water-Quality Data
• 20 Years Researching Harmful Algal Blooms Supports Sustainable Water Supply in Wichita
• The Quality of the Nation's Groundwater: Progress on a National Survey (1/19/2017)

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• Spatial variability of harmful algal blooms in Milford Lake, Kansas, July and August 2015
• Why Monitor Water Quality? [1.7MB PDF]

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Selected Water-Quality Topics > Hydraulic Fracturing

Water-Quality Topics: Hydraulic Fracturing

Generalized image showing the key points in hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas development where water is part of the process. (Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

Hydraulic fracturing (informally known as hydrofracking, fracking, fracing, or hydrofracturing) is a process that typically involves injecting water, sand, and (or) chemicals under high pressure into a bedrock formation via a well. This process is intended to create new fractures in the rock as well as increase the size, extent, and connectivity of existing fractures.

Hydraulic fracturing is a well-stimulation technique used commonly in low-permeability rocks like tight sandstone, shale, and some coal beds to increase oil and/or gas flow to a well from petroleum-bearing rock formations. A similar technique is used to create improved permeability in underground geothermal reservoirs. A form of hydraulic fracturing is also used in low permeability sediments and other tight subsurface formations to increase the efficiency of soil vapor extraction and other technologies used in remediating contaminated sites.

The links below focus on USGS activities to study and monitor potential impacts from hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas development on water quality.

USGS Information and Resources

• Introduction to Hydraulic Fracturing
• Science or Soundbite? Shale Gas, Hydraulic Fracturing, and Induced Earthquakes (video)
• Disinfection Byproducts from Treatment of Produced Waters

USGS Water Science Center Projects or Programs

• Arkansas Water Science Center: Fayetteville Shale Information
• New York Water Science Center: Water Issues and Marcellus Shale Gas Development in New York
• North Carolina Water Science Center: North Carolina Shale Gas Baseline Groundwater Sampling Project
• Ozark Plateaus Groundwater Availability Study - Groundwater and Shale-Gas
• Pennsylvania Water Science Center: Oil and Gas Related Studies
• Utah Water Science Center: Development of stream-based monitoring methods for assessing effects of natural gas development on water resources
• USGS Cooperative Water Program Products - Energy

USGS Energy Program Resources and Information

• Hydraulic Fracturing Frequently Asked Questions (Energy)
• USGS Energy Resources Program - Hydraulic Fracturing
• USGS National Produced Waters Geochemical Database

Selected Recent USGS Publications and Products

The list below includes recent USGS reports and journal articles listed in the USGS Publications Warehouse. [an error occurred while processing this directive]USGS Offices: If there is a USGS-authored publication missing that should be added to this list, please email owq_webmaster@usgs.gov

• Stream Vulnerability to Widespread and Emergent Stressors: A Focus on Unconventional Oil and Gas (Journal Article) 
  • New Tool Rates Stream Vulnerability to Unconventional Oil and Gas Development (Press Release)
• Oklahoma: A Century of Induced Earthquakes in Oklahoma? (Journal Article) 
  • A Century of Induced Earthquakes in Oklahoma? (Press Release)
• Land use and wetland drainage affect water levels and dynamics of remaining wetlands (Journal Article) 
  • Drainage of Prairie Pothole Wetlands Can Increase Flooding and Degrade Ecosystems (Press Release)
• Hydraulic fracturing water use variability in the United States and potential environmental implications (Journal Article) 
  • Water Used for Hydraulic Fracturing Varies Widely Across United States (Press Release)
• Groundwater Quality in Geauga County, Ohio -- Status, Including Detection Frequency of Methane in Water Wells, 2009, and Changes During 1978-2009 (USGS Report)
• Methodology for assessing quantities of water and proppant injection, and water production associated with development of continuous petroleum accumulations (USGS Report)
• A century of oilfield operations and earthquakes in the greater Los Angeles Basin, southern California (Journal Article)
• See past listings

Other Sources of Information

• USGS-hosted Congressional Briefing: Hydraulic Fracturing - The State of the Science, June 2012 (video)
• U.S. Department of Interior -- Interior Department Releases Final Rule to Support Safe, Responsible Hydraulic Fracturing Activities on Public and Tribal Lands
• FracFocus.org - FracFocus is the national hydraulic fracturing chemical registry.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

• Natural Gas Extraction - Hydraulic Fracturing
• EPA's Study of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas and Its Potential Impact on Drinking Water Resources
• Hydraulic Fracturing Water Cycle
• Published Scientific Papers from EPA's Study of Hydraulic Fracturing and Its Potential Impact on Drinking Water Resources

U.S. Department of Energy

• Natural Gas Subcommittee of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board - Safety of Shale Gas Development
• Producing Natural Gas from Shale
• National Energy Technology Laboratory: Research on Natural Gas Resources

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Links and pointers to non-USGS sites (described here as "Other Sources of Information") are provided for information only and do not constitute endorsement by the USGS, U.S. Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government, of the referenced organizations, their suitability, content, products, or services, whether they are governmental, educational, or commercial. Please note that the USGS does not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of these outside materials.

For more information, see USGS Information Policies.