Estimating the Creation and Removal Date of Fracking Ponds Using Trend Analysis of Landsat Imagery.

摘要: Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process of introducing liquid at high pressure to create fractures in shale rock formations, thus releasing natural gas. Flowback and produced water from fracking operations typically stored temporary open-air earthen impoundments, frack ponds. Unfortunately, the United States there no public record location dates that impoundments are created removed. In this study we use dataset drilling-related Pennsylvania identified through FrackFinder project led by SkyTruth, an environmental non-profit. For each impoundment location, compiled all low cloud Landsat imagery 2000 2016 monthly time series for three bands: red, near-infrared (NIR), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). We approximate date creation removal sudden breaks series. To verify our method, compared results ranges derived photointerpretation available historical on Google Earth subset impoundments. Based analysis, found number built annually increased rapidly 2006 2010, then slowed 2010 2013. Since newer tend be larger, however, total area has continued increase. The methods described would appropriate finding variety industrial land changes known locations.