Arizona State University (ASU) GLG108 Water Planet Midterm 2 Practice Exam

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, specifically involves a technique used to extract oil and gas from deep underground reservoirs. This process entails injecting a mixture of water, sand, and various chemicals at high pressure into rock formations. The high-pressure injection creates fractures in the rock, allowing the trapped oil and gas to flow more freely to the wellbore for extraction.

This method is critical for accessing resources that are otherwise difficult to extract due to the impermeability of the rocks in which they are contained. By creating these fractures, hydraulic fracturing significantly enhances the ability to recover oil and gas, thereby playing an integral role in modern energy production.

The other options describe processes unrelated to hydraulic fracturing; for example, the use of explosives pertains more to traditional drilling methods rather than the fracturing process itself, and collecting rainwater for storage is more about conservation and resource management than extraction. Similarly, wastewater treatment focuses on recycling water rather than extracting fossil fuels, making them distinct from the fracking process.