Whois & Analysis for marcelluscoalition.org

The geology of the Appalachians dates back to more than 480 million years ago.

A look at rocks exposed in today's Appalachian Mountains reveals elongate belts of folded and thrust faulted marine sedimentary rocks, volcanic rocks and slivers of ancient ocean floor - strong evidence that these rocks were deformed during plate collision.

The birth of the Appalachian ranges marks the first of several mountain building plate collisions that culminated in the construction of the supercontinent Pangaea with the Appalachians and neighboring Little Atlas (now in Morocco) near the center.

These mountain ranges likely once reached elevations similar to those of the Alps and the Rocky Mountains before they were eroded.

The Marcellus Formation (also classified as the Marcellus Subgroup of the Hamilton Group, Marcellus Member of the Romney Formation, or simply the Marcellus Shale) is a Middle Devonian age unit of marine sedimentary rock found in eastern North America.

Named for a distinctive outcrop near the village of Marcellus, New York, in the United States,

Shale gas is natural gas that is found trapped within shale formations.

Shale gas has become an increasingly important source of natural gas in the United States since the start of this century, and interest has spread to potential gas shales in the rest of the world.

In 2000 shale gas provided only 1% of U.S. natural gas production; by 2010 it was over 20% and the U.S. government's Energy Information Administration predicts that by 2035, 46% of the United States' natural gas supply will come from shale gas.

Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, but commonly including varying amounts of other higher alkanes, and sometimes a small percentage of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, or helium.

It is formed when layers of decomposing plant and animal matter are exposed to intense heat and pressure under the surface of the Earth over millions of years.

The energy that the plants originally obtained from the sun is stored in the form of chemical bonds in the gas.

A Master of Science (abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., MSci, M.Sci., ScM, Sc.M., SciM or Sci.M) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries, or a person holding such a degree.

In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering, and medicine, and is usually for programs that are more focused on scientific and mathematical subjects; however, different universities have different conventions and may also offer the degree for fields typically considered within the humanities and social sciences.

While it ultimately depends upon the specific program, earning a Master of Science degree typically includes writing a thesis.