Intorduction
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| Locations of major shale gas resources |
Wisconsin has an abundance of sand deposits, mostly concentrated in the west-central part of the state. This sand has been mined for hundreds of years for production of various products including glassware, mortar, and cement. Sand mining in Wisconsin has dramatically increased in recent years for use in hydraulic fracturing (fracing), a technique used for obtaining oil and natural gas from the earth. The frac sand is mined and processed in state, and shipped out to areas of the country where drilling operations are taking place. Texas, Oklahoma, and North Dakota are just a few of the places utilizing this technique.
Over the course of the semester, our GIS II class will be focusing our projects on studying the various facets of this booming industry, which I will be documenting in this blog. Our studies will be concentrated on Trempealeau county, as this area features some of the most frac sand operations.
Hydraulic Fracturing
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| Diagram of hydraulic fracturing operation |
Fracing is the process of drilling a standard oil well, and using explosives to crack the bedrock. After the rock is cracked, water, chemicals, and sand are pumped into the well under high pressure to pry open the cracks, and the sand is left in the wound to hold it open. This creates a permeable area to extract oil or gas.
Though fracing is in Wisconsin news more and more these days, it is not a new technique. Fracing has been used since the mid 20th century. The reason for the recent surge in demand for frac sand is that new horizontal drilling technology has been introduced, allowing for access to many deposits of resources that have long been out of our reach. This technology, combined with our ever-growing need for fuels, has made frac sand a huge industry in Wisconsin in just a few short years.
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| Sandstone locations and frac sand facilities in Wisconsin |
Frac Sand
Fracing uses a very specific type of silica sand, popularly known as quartz. Sand used for fracing operations must be almost entirely quartz, rounded, and of a very specific size. Wisconsin has some of the best frac sand deposits in the country, which is why the excavation of this sand is such a huge (and controversial) topic in the state. Sandstone deposits suitable for frac sand are mostly concentrated in the western part of the state. As you can see in this map, Trempealeau county contains a large number of these mines and processing facilities, which is why we are focusing our studies here.
Impacts of Frac Sand Mining in Wisconsin
As was mentioned earlier, frac sand mining is a controversial topic. As with any industry, there can be impacts (good and bad) on the people, wildlife, and environment of the area. These impacts can vary from one mine to another depending on size of the operation, surrounding geography, and local population.
Air pollution is always a large concern. As with any industrial setting, there will be some emissions. All the heavy equipment used to excavate, process, and eventually transport the product means a large increase in gasoline use and the emissions that come with it. There is also the issue of dust. With the amount of heavy equipment moving around, blasting of rock, and bare sandstone exposed, dust can get into the air. On a windy day, this dust may travel far away from the mining facility.
Overburden removal is the process of removing topsoil and biological matter such as plants and forests. This must be done before any mining can begin and is one of the main reasons that many Wisconsinites oppose frac sand mining. Removal of of overburden not only removes forests, but also the ecosystems that depend on it.
Water pollution is another reason Wisconsin residents are leery of sand mining near their communities. Sediment and chemical contaminated run off may make its way into the water system, either by overland runoff or seepage into ground water systems. Obviously, frac sand mines are held to the same water protection standards as any mining facility, but accidents can and do happen.
Just like other industrial settings, frac sand mines are loud. There is a great deal of heavy machinery in use, as well as occasional blasting. Because these mines are typically in rural areas, local residents who established their homes in the area specifically for a quiet country life are not usually happy about being near one of these operations.
There are several other ways mining has, and will continue to, affect Wisconsin, but the last one I will mention is job creation. This is a huge industry with many more mines and processing facilites currently in production. Proponents of sand mining point to this as a great boom to the state economy. Those opposed to mining claim that they are only temporary jobs, unable to outweigh the possible harm the industry could do to the environment.
Using GIS to Explore these Issues
Throughout this course, we will delve further into these issues. Although this class is designed to help students learn and master the uses of ArcGIS and similar products, our labs and exercises will focus on assessing the risks and benefits of frac sand mining in Wisconsin. This strategy will not only help us master geospatial skills, but also help us learn a great deal about a topic so close to home. Each lab will be posted here on my blog, with explanations and results, allowing you to follow my progress. We have began working on lab 1, which involves learning how and where to obtain geospatial data. Unfortunately, many of the websites that are crucial for obtaining this data are currently closed thanks to a government shutdown. I will post more as soon as possible.
Thank you for reading.
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