Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center

Comprehensive, Interdisciplinary Research and Surveys

Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Scientists within the GEMSC represent a breadth of programs focused on the USGS mission; Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, and Environmental Health Programs. GEMSC conducts comprehensive, interdisciplinary research and surveys of the origin, occurrence, distribution, quantity, and composition of oil, gas, coal, minerals, and more.

What We Provide

GEMSC Logo Custom Block

GEMSC conducts comprehensive, interdisciplinary research and surveys of the origin, occurrence, distribution, quantity, and composition of oil, gas, coal, minerals, and associated deposits. We provide up-to-date, publicly available, scientific data.

Explore Our Science

What We Address

River Sampling

GEMSC was established in 2020 through the merger of the Eastern Energy Resources and the Eastern Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Centers. Our work is broadly applicable to current and emerging geology, energy, and minerals issues.

About The Center

Science Priorities

News

The Geoheritage Sites of the Nation Explorer is LIVE!

The Geoheritage Sites of the Nation Explorer is LIVE!

Trash to Treasure: Could energy wastewaters be a viable source of lithium?

Trash to Treasure: Could energy wastewaters be a viable source of lithium?

Illegal Oil and Gas Wastewater Dumps Disrupt Foundations of Fragile Desert Ecosystems

Illegal Oil and Gas Wastewater Dumps Disrupt Foundations of Fragile Desert Ecosystems

View All

Publications

Nanometer-scale relationships between sedimentary organic matter molecular composition, fluorescence, cathodoluminescence, and reflectance: The importance of oxygen content at low thermal maturities

Molecular characterization of sedimentary organic matter (SOM), termed macerals, is a common goal when seeking to understand petroleum generation as well as other geologic processes in deep time. However, unambiguous measurement of discrete macerals is challenging due to the small size of organic particles in sedimentary rocks, the proximity of different organic matter types to one...
Authors
Aaron M. Jubb, Paul C. Hackley, Ryan J. McAleer, Jing Qu
By
Energy Resources Program, Florence Bascom Geoscience Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Temporal and spatial comparison of coal mine ventilation methane emissions and mitigation quantified using PRISMA satellite data and on-site measurements

Emission monitoring at the facility level (bottom-up, BU) is key for accurate reporting of coal mine methane (CMM) emissions. Recent advances in aerial and satellite observations (top-down, TD) indicate that these methods have the potential to support CMM emissions monitoring and reporting of, as well as track the effectiveness of, mitigation actions. That said, studies have shown...
Authors
C. Özgen Karacan, Itziar Irakulis-Loitxate, Robert A. Field, Peter D. Warwick
By
Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Pathways for potential exposure to onshore oil and gas wastewater: What we need to know to protect human health

Produced water is a chemically complex waste stream generated during oil and gas development. Roughly four trillion liters were generated onshore in the United States in 2021 (ALL Consulting, 2022, https://www.gwpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2021_Produced_Water_Volumes.pdf). Efforts are underway to expand historic uses of produced water to offset freshwater needs in water-stressed...
Authors
Ayusha Ariana, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Cloelle Danforth, Bonnie McDevitt, Anna Rosofsky, Donna Vorhees
By
Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center
View All
Was this page helpful?