Fracking invloves injecting water, and and proppant into low-permeability shale rocks in order to form cracks (fractures) that allow the flow of gas. There is concern that this process may involve risks such as the potential for contamination of drinking water aquifers, reactivation of geologic faults, and subsidence (surface movement). ReFINE's research will aim to better understand how fractures form and behave underground and use this information to improve our understanding of any risks associated with the fracking process itself.