"The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."
-Albert Einstein
I had the honor of being invited by the editors of the American Journal of Science to contribute a figure from my paper as the cover of the Journal. See Osborn et al., 2012.
This figure is taken from my 2011 paper and has been cited by many. It depicts the dissolved methane concentration as a function of the distance to the nearest gas well in the data that I collected. See Osborn et al., 2011.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Sherwood, O.A., Rogers, J.D., Lackey, G., Burke, T.L., Osborn, S.G., and J.N. Ryan, 2016, Groundwater methane in relation to oil and gas development and coal seams in the Denver-Julesburg Basin of Colorado, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (PNAS), c. 113, no. 30, pp. 8391-8396.
Rogers, J.D., Burke, T.L., Osborn, S.G., and Ryan, J.N., 2015, A Framework for Identifying Organic Compounds of Concern in Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids Based on Their Mobility and Persistence, Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett., 2, pp. 158-164.
Osborn, S.G., Duffield, L.D., Elliott, W.C., Wampler, J.M., Elmore, R.D., and Engel, M.H., 2014, The timing of diagenesis and thermal maturation of the Cretaceous Marias River Shale, Disturbed Belt Montana, Clays and Clay Minerals, Vol. 62, No. 2, pp. 112-125. DOI: 10.1346/CCMN.2014.0620204.
Jackson, R.B., Vengosh, A., Darrah, T.H., Warner, N.R., Down, A., Poreda, R.J., Osborn, S.G., Zhao, K., and Karr, J., 2013, Increased stray gas abundance in a subset of drinking water wells near Marcellus shale gas extraction, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (PNAS), c. 110, no. 28, pp. 11250-11255. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1221635110.
Warner, N.R., Jackson, R.B., Darrah, T., Osborn, S.G., Down, A., Zhao, K., White, A., and Vengosh, A., 2012, Geochemical Evidence for Natural Migration of Marcellus-Like Brine to Shallow Drinking-Water in Pennsylvania, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, v. 109, no. 30, pp. 11962-11966. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1121181109.
Osborn, S.G., McIntosh, J.C., Hanor, J.S., and Biddulph, D., 2012, 129-iodine, 87Sr/86Sr, and trace elemental geochemistry of Appalachian Basin brines: Evidence of basinal-scale fluid migration and clay mineral diagenesis, American Journal of Science, v. 312, no. 3, pp. 263-287. doi: 10.2475/03.2012.01.
Osborn, S., Vengosh, A., Warner, N., and Jackson, R., 2011. Methane contamination of drinking water accompanying gas-well drilling and hydro-fracturing, proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), v. 108, issue 20, pp. 8172-8176. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1100682108
McIntosh, J.C., Warwick, P., Martini, A.M., Osborn, S.G., 2010, Coupled hydrology and biogeochemistry of Paleocene-Eocene coal beds, northern Gulf of Mexico, Geological Society of America (GSA) Bulletin, v. 122, pp. 1248-1264. doi: 10.1130/B30039.1.
Osborn, S.G., and J.C. McIntosh, 2010, Chemical and Isotopic Tracers of the Contribution of Microbial Gas in Devonian Organic-rich Shales and Reservoir Sandstones, Northern Appalachian Basin, Applied Geochemistry, v. 25, Issue 3, pp. 456-471. DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2010.01.001.
Elliott, W.C., Osborn, S.G., O’Brien, V.J., Elmore, R.D., Engel, M.H., and Wampler, J.M., 2006, On the Timing and Causes of Illite Formation and Remagnetization in the Cretaceous Marias River Shale, Disturbed Belt, MT, J. of Geochemical Exploration, v. 89, pp 92-95. DOI: 10.1016/j.gexplo.2005.11.033.
Other Non-Peer Reviewed Publications
McIntosh, J, Hamilton, S.E., Grasby, S.E., and S.G. Osborn, 2015, Reply to Ryan et al., comment on “Origins, distribution and hydrogeochemical controls on methane occurrences in shallow aquifers, southwestern Ontario, Applied Geochemistry, v. 63, pp. 446-450.
Warner, NR, Jackson, R.B., Darrah, T.H., Osborn, S.G., Down, A., Zhao, K, White, A., and A. Vengosh, 2012, Reply to Engelder: Potential for fluid migration from the Marcellus Formation remains possible, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (PNAS), c. 109, no. 52, pp. E3626-E3626.
Vengosh, A., Warner, N., Osborn, S., and Jackson, R., 2011, Elucidating water contamination by fracturing fluids and formation waters from gas wells: Integrating isotopic and geochemical tracers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency technical workshop in support of hydraulic fracturing research.
Jackson, R.B., Osborn, S.G., Vengosh, A., and NR Warner, 2011, Reply to Davies: Hydraulic fracturing remains a possible mechanism for observed methane contamination of drinking water, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (PNAS), c. 108, no. 43, pp. E872-E872.
Osborn, S.G., Vengosh, A., Warner, N.R., and R.B. Jackson, 2011, Reply to Saba and Orzechowski and Schon: Methane contamination of drinking water accompanying gas-well drilling and hydraulic fracturing, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (PNAS), c. 108, no. 37, pp. E665-E666.
Jackson, R.B., Pearson, B.R., Osborn, S.G., Warner, N.R., and A. Vengosh, 2011, Research and Policy Recommendations for Hydraulic Fracturing and shale-gas extraction, Center on Global Change, Duke University.
McIntosh, J. and Osborn, S., 2010, Geochemical Evidence for Biogenic Gas Plays in Upper Devonian and Upper Ordovician Organic-rich Shales: Western New York and the Appalachian Basin, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Report.