ABSTRACT
Shale gas is methane that is found in tiny pockets in the sedimentary shale rock layer. Technological innovations (hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling) and price signals have made it worth pursuing, and there has been a revolution in extracting shale gas. The shale gas revolution has profoundly altered the geography of gas production and markets in North America, and it has opened a whole new set of regulatory, environmental, and even security questions. This entry examines the economic and geopolitical consequences of the shale gas revolution. It also surveys the possible impacts of fracking on air quality, water quality, and subsurface geology (i.e., its potential to cause earthquakes).
