Marcellus is from somewhere 2,000 to 9,000 feet underground, as the map above from the Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research shows. The Center is a great source of comprehensive information about this shale formation. As the display at Drake Well notes, some pieces of Marcellus hold so much gas they will ignite when exposed to flame.
Through this blog you join me on a trip across the Marcellus and Utica shale regions organized by the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources to explore the promise and peril of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. IJNR advances public understanding of and engagement in environmental issues and responsible economic development through better journalism. Learn more about IJNR at ijnr.org and its Shale Country Institute at http://blog.ijnr.org/2014/06/10/2014-shale-country-institute-preview/