We are dedicated earth science professionals based in the Denver, Colorado offices of the U.S. Geological Survey. We conduct objective scientific investigations that are focused on answering societally relevant questions posed by our clients and collaborators, with a focus on the Mineral Resources Program.
Mission and Vision Statement
The overall mission of the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center (GGGSC) is to apply expertise in geology, geophysics, and geochemistry to interdisciplinary efforts supporting the USGS mission to address the Nation’s important earth science issues, with emphasis on providing unbiased research and information on mineral resources. Our vision is to make our geoscience knowledge public, and to contribute, in a manner that is useful for formulating governmental policy and decision-making, to the resolution of interdisciplinary societal geoscience issues.
Our Capabilities
The USGS Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Science Center (GGGSC), located on the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood (Denver), Colorado, houses 138 leading scientists. Our scientists develop new methods and tools to supply timely, relevant, and useful information about the Earth and its processes. With 27 laboratories, cutting edge analytical and field equipment, we apply our expertise to interdisciplinary efforts domestically and internationally in support of the USGS mission to address the Nation’s important earth science issues, with an emphasis on critical mineral resources throughout their life cycles. We partner closely with the Bureau of Land Management, State of California, US Department of State, and more than 60 other Federal, State, Territorial, Tribal, academic, and private industry partners.
We have four scientific branches:
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Geochemistry
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Geophysics and Spectroscopy
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Economic and Framework Geology
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Spatial Analysis and Data Management
History of GGGSC
Our center was formed on October 1, 2017, as a merger of the Central Mineral and Environmental Resources and the Crustal Geophysics and Geochemistry Science Centers. Our center may be a few years old, but our scientists have a long history of working collaboratively with each other and other USGS programs to conduct objective scientific investigations that are focused on answering societally relevant questions posed by our clients and collaborators, especially the Mineral Resources Program.
The Central Mineral Resources Team was formed in 1995 by consolidating the former USGS Geologic Division Branches of Geophysics, Geochemistry, Central Mineral Resources, and part of the Branch of Resource Analysis. In October 1999, the former Central Region Mineral Resources Team was cleaved to yield the Central Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center and the Crustal Geophysics and Geochemistry Science Center.
The merger of the two centers joins our scientists and capabilities together in one group, coming full circle. The merged center brings together a strong science portfolio that integrates regional and economic geology with a broad range of geophysical expertise. In addition, our Center has broad research geochemistry, analytical, and applications capability, and is the USGS’s largest concentration of scientists specializing in radiogenic, stable, noble gas, and geochronology isotope geochemistry.