State geologist presents “The Utica/Point Pleasant Shale” Sept. 16
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Thomas Serenko, a graduate of Youngstown State University and now the head of the Ohio Geological Survey, will speak at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, in Room 2400 of Moser Hall on the YSU campus.
His topic is “The Utica/Point Pleasant Shale: A Geological ad Historical Perspective.” The lecture is free and open to the public. Advanced registrations are requested by Friday, Sept. 12. Contact 330-941-4635 or jamiller10@ysu.edu. Walk-in registrations will be taken at the door.
The presentation will be followed by tours of the YSU Clarence R. Smith Mineral Museum in Moser Hall. Free parking is available in the deck on Wick Avenue.
Serenko graduated from YSU as a geology major in 1985 and advanced to graduate school at the Colorado School of Mines. He earned a Ph.D. in 1994 from Imperial College in London. He has worked and studied across the world, including Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Zaire, Sweden and all around the United States. He has taught at YSU, Pikeville College and the University of Texas. He is currently a certified professional geologist and a licensed geologist in Texas with number publications to his credit. Serenko was hired by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in 2012 to lead the Ohio Geological Survey, established in 1837 to survey and study the state’s natural resources.
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.