Atmosphere of Earth the border between the atmosphere and outer space. Atmospheric effects become noticeable during atmospheric reentry of spacecraft at an altitude of around . Several layers can be distinguished in the atmosphere, based on characteristics such as temperature and composition. The study of Earth's atmosphere and its processes is called atmospheric science (aerology). Early pioneers in the field include Léon Teisserenc de Bort and Richard Assmann. The three major constituents of Earth's atmosphere are nitrogen, oxygen, and argon. Water vapor accounts for roughly 0.25% of the atmosphere by mass. The concentration of water vapor (a greenhouse gas) varies significantly from around
Shale gas in the United States a Haynesville Shale gas well. Haynesville shale wells have also been drilled in northeast Texas, where it is also known as the Bossier Shale. From 2008 through 2010 Encana accumulated a "large land position" (250,000 net acres) at an "average $150/acre" in the Collingwood Utica shale gas play in Michigan's Middle Ordovician Collingwood formation. Natural gas is produced from the Collingwood shale and the overlying Utica shale. The Michigan public land auction took place in early May 2010 in one of "America's most promising oil and gas plays". The Devonian-Mississippian New Albany Shale produces gas in the southeast Illinois Basin