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 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

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

April 28, 2026

Lithium in Eastern States Could Replace Imports for a Century or More

August 28, 2025

USGS Unveils New National Geologic Map

July 23, 2025

Department of the Interior launches effort to recover critical minerals from mine waste

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Publications

May 11, 2026

Quantitative mineral resource assessment of lithium pegmatite deposits in the southern Appalachian orogen Quantitative mineral resource assessment of lithium pegmatite deposits in the southern Appalachian orogen

The first quantitative mineral resource assessment for undiscovered lithium pegmatite deposits in the southern Appalachian region of the United States was conducted. Permissive tracts for lithium pegmatite deposits were delineated by integrating lithological, tectonic, geochemical, geophysical and mineral occurrence data. Lithium pegmatite prospectivity of the tracts was ranked with...

Authors

Joshua Mark Rosera, Kelsey Elizabeth Crocker, Laura Pianowski, Jacob T. Murchek, Ashton M. Wiens, Margaret M. Sanders, Lucas Leonidus Evart, Jacob DeAngelo, Graham W. Lederer, Joshua A. Coyan

Geology, Energy, and Minerals Mission Area, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

March 25, 2026

Rare earth element potential in coal and coal ash in the U.S. Gulf Coast Rare earth element potential in coal and coal ash in the U.S. Gulf Coast

United States heavy reliance on imports of critical minerals (CMs), including rare earth elements (REEs), underscores the importance of development of domestic sources. The study objective was to quantify CM and REE concentrations in coal and coal ash in the US Gulf Coast region. CM and REE concentrations were measured for 118 samples from outcrops and 14 mines in the Gulf Coast. Results...

Authors

Bridget R. Scanlon, Robert C. Reedy, Brent A. Elliott, James C. Hower, J. Richard Kyle, Marek Locmelis, Nolan Theaker, Peter D. Warwick

Geology, Energy, and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

March 19, 2026

Bottom-up characterization of geologic methane emissions in the San Juan Basin in the southwestern USA Bottom-up characterization of geologic methane emissions in the San Juan Basin in the southwestern USA

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry and global warming. The current global methane budget has large uncertainties, and a better understanding of the budget would help to guide strategies for reducing anthropogenic emissions to fight climate change. Natural geologic methane emissions are a particularly poorly constrained source, with...

Authors

Margaret Scholer, Kathleen R. Hall, Thomas S. Weber, Marc L. Buursink, Mingzhe Zhu, Alexander C. Ihle, Devin Hencmann, Andrew M. Smith, Katey W. Anthony, Vasilii V. Petrenko

Geology, Energy, and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

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