GEOCHEMICAL EVIDENCE FOR POSSIBLE NATURAL MIGRATION OF MARCELLUS FORMATION BRINE TO SHALLOW AQUIFERS IN PENNSYLVANIA

"We present geochemical evidence from northeastern Pennsylvania showing that pathways, unrelated to recent drilling activities, exist in some locations between deep underlying formations and shallow drinking water aquifers ... however, the coincidence of elevated salinity in shallow groundwater with a geochemical signature similar to produced water from the Marcellus Formation suggests that these areas could be at greater risk of contamination from shale gas development because of a preexisting network of cross-formational pathways that has enhanced hydraulic connectivity to deeper geological formations."

Ein Paper von Nathaniel R. Warner et al. über die Möglichkeit der Kontamination obenflächennaher Grundwasserleiter bei der  Shalegas-Produktion durch die Migration von Tiefenwässern entlang präexistiernder Weglichkeiten mit erhöhter Durchlässigkeit. Erschienen bei Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (9. Juli 2012).