Fracking Risks Associated with Natural Hazards

In the process of fracking, chemicals are pumped down pipes into shale to release the gases from

deep below the Earth’s surface. The waste chemicals are put into large pools that are lined to

protect from seeping into the ground. The only problem with these pools is possible over-topping of

the fluids and slurry.

In September 2013, fracking was being done in the city of La Salle, Colorado. A large flood swept through the city. Fracking equipment was damaged in the flooding. Drills were flipped and destroyed releasing oil and hydraulic fluids to be released into the water. Along with this equipment, the slurry pools were also damaged. They could have released toxic chemicals into the flood waters. The tainted water flowed into rivers and lakes and could have entered water supply for the city. Residents

were encouraged to not have any contact or use running water because toxic chemicals could have entered their water supply. Toxins such as lead and radioactive elements are used in the fracking process (Hargreaves 2013).

Over 1,800 drilling sites were closed down in the floods. The Colorado Department of Natural

Resources explained that in the area of the floods it is legal to use the open pits for the slurry and

flowback water used in fracking, but most of the toxic flowback water was stored in large sealed

tanks (McAllister 2013). With this in mind, we can hope that no radioactive elements leached into

waterways.

September 17, 2013 by EcoFlight

Fracking is a risky process, but many feel it is necessary because of the mass amounts of gas and oil bearing shale rock formations found deep beneath the surface. The chemicals being pumped into the earth have to be carefully stored so the toxins do not reach our waterways, but not many people think about the possibility of these storage tanks malfunctioning or breaking. If ingested, these chemicals can cause heavy metal poisoning and cancer. This drilling can trigger other dangerous hazards such as earthquakes and sinkholes. The destruction of shale can cause ruptures in the Earth’s surface. This can trigger a small quake that could damage homes and buildings. When the shale is removed from the ground it leaves massive holes under the ground. When the ground that we walk on is not supported underneath, it may collapse. Sinkholes can swallow cars and roads along with parts of buildings in a matter of minutes.

Is fracking necessary for the gas and oil we extract, or do the risks outweigh the benefits?

Hargreaves, Steve. “Colorado Flooding May Unleash Fracking Fluids.” CNNMoney, Cable News Network, 18 Sept. 2013, money.cnn.com/2013/09/18/news/economy/colorado-flooding-fracking/index.html.

McAllister, Edward. “In Flood-Struck Colorado, Concerns about Fracking Spills.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 18 Sept. 2013, www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-colorado-flooding-fracking/in-flood-struck-colorado-concerns-about-fracking-spills-idUSBRE98H15820130918.

Global Warming and Its Affect on Natural Hazards

In the Article, “The Hurricanes, and Climate-Change Questions, Keep Coming. Yes, They’re

Linked.”, Scientists are said to be looking into the links of global warming and the intensity of

hurricanes. The warming ocean temperatures cause hurricanes to gain energy and become

stronger. Storm surges will also become worse due to rising sea levels. Ocean surface temperatures

have risen rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico and this could have caused the intense strengthening of

Hurricane Michael just before it made landfall. Scientist believe that in the following years, we will

see fewer hurricanes than normal, but the ones that do form will be stronger than before.

Scientist Kerry Emanuel explained that the greater the temperature difference between the

ocean and atmosphere, the more energy a storm will collect and eventually release when it makes

landfall. This is caused by rapid evaporation and uplift. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change says that if we do not limit the warming of ocean temperatures to 1.5 degrees celsius, we

may see more precipitation in the future.

When Hurricane Michael made landfall it was predicted that storm surge could reach up to 13

feet of water. Dr. Camargo explains that rising sea levels could cause more damage than the hurricanes themselves. It causes more flooding in coastal areas that experience the storm surges. Sea levels have risen almost 4 inches in the past 40 years and that will increase to almost a foot by the year 2100 (Henry 2018).

I believe that the issues presented in this article are factual. Warmer ocean temperatures allow

for more evaporation. When water vapor evaporates and condenses, it releases latent heat energy

allowing for rapid intensification in hurricanes. This can cause higher winds and more precipitation.

When a hurricane reaches coastal areas, ocean temperatures rise quickly and the hurricane can

pick up massive amounts of energy. Sea levels rising is directly associated with storm surge. As

coastal areas are more covered with water, it has the ability to move further inland and at higher

levels than before.

According to Jon Keeley, wildfires are directly associated to rising global temperatures. With the

land becoming dry due to drought, fires are more easily ignited by dry lightning (Keeley 2016). When

biomass is dry, the fires are spread further and quicker. Annual temperatures in Western US states

have doubled in the past 50 years  The sun’s energy dries out forests, especially because these

areas are getting hotter. Greenhouse gases are trapping the shortwave energy from the sun in the

troposphere drying out the forests that are regularly affected by fires.

Although fires are associated with seasonal temperature change, rising temperatures can

cause spring to come earlier, and summer to be hotter. This dries out biomass and can wildfire

season to start earlier, and last longer.

I believe that global warming can cause drastic changes in many natural hazards and we must

work to stop the rising global temperatures. A warming Earth can cause many human related

problems, and we may have the greatest influence on this warming.

Sources

Fountain, Henry. “The Hurricanes, and Climate-Change Questions, Keep Coming. Yes, They're

Linked.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Oct. 2018,

www.nytimes.com/2018/10/10/climate/hurricane-michael-climate-change.html.

Keeley, Jon E., and Alexandra D. Syphard. “Climate Change and Future Fire Regimes: Examples

from California.” Geosciences (2076-3263), vol. 6, no. 3, Sept. 2016, pp. 1–14. EBSCOhost,

  doi:10.3390/geosciences6030037.

Nesbit, Jeff. “California’s Wildfires Are an Ominous Sign.” U.S. News - The Report, Aug. 2018, pp.

C33–C35. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=asn&AN=131303253&site=ehost-

live&scope=site&custid=s3915793.