Hydraulic Fracturing — Environmental Impact Simulator

Environmental Science · McKinley High School

Teacher skip

Before You Begin — Watch This

SEP 2 · MODELS

Watch the full video to unlock the simulation.

Quick Check — Answer to Continue

1. What is pumped into the well at extremely high pressure to create fractures in the shale rock?

A Crude oil and diesel fuel

B A mixture of water, sand, and chemicals

C Compressed natural gas

D Liquid nitrogen and acid

2. Why is the well casing and cement seal important in hydraulic fracturing?

A It increases the pressure of the fracking fluid

B It prevents oil from escaping to the surface too quickly

C It protects groundwater aquifers from contamination

D It guides the drill bit to the correct depth

FIGURE 12-1 — Phase I: Observe how hydraulic fracturing works under normal conditions

Layer Key

Topsoil

Sedimentary Rock

Aquifer

Caprock

Gas Shale

Oil Shale

SPEED

Select a Scenario

Choose one of the three failure scenarios above to observe how the system behaves when something goes wrong. Use what you learned in Phase I to explain each impact.