Lehigh University

In this study we will determine how computer science data mining principles can aid researchers in the creation of ethnographic decision models. Our approach uses these principles to determine which decision attributes will be most useful for predicting whether homeowners will lease land for hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) is a controversial process of extracting natural gas where millions of gallons of chemicals and water are pumped into the ground to fracture rock and release the gas for collection.

Unconventional extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania provides an opportunity for interdisciplinary study of the effects of rapid economic development and environmental impacts on human quality-of-life. Our research team includes eight faculty and staff with expertise in economics, anthropology, sociology, satellite image analysis, political science, risk communication, environmental education and geographic information systems. We will develop a quality-of-life index specific to our study population and the issue of gas extraction.

Pennsylvania, along with portions of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New York, and Ohio, set atop Marcellus Shale. The effects of Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling on hunting, fishing, and other recreational activities across Pennsylvania are currently unknown. Biological, recreational, and economical issues associated with the development of natural gas, along with the existing environmental guidelines for oil and gas activitiy on state forest lands from Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources are currently being researched.