Integrated Methods Development Project

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The Integrated Methods Development Project (IMDP) was an interdisciplinary project to develop tools and conduct research requiring integration of geologic, geophysical, geochemical, and remote-sensing expertise. The goals of the project were to:

• Anticipate new technologies and research directions that will be needed in the future,
• Maintain and expand existing laboratories, equipment, and capabilities,
• Develop and evaluate new methods and applications,
• Conduct innovative fundamental and applied research.

The project consisted of tasks and subtasks funded by the Mineral Resources Program and the Toxic Substances Hydrology Program. The Integrated Methods Development Project supported the development and maintenance of new and existing techniques, methods, and applications. New or improved research tools developed within this project will be incorporated into topical projects. 

Major Research Areas

Integrated Research Studies: Environmental challenges associated with understanding mineral systems, processes, and climatic factors require an integrated approach. Approaches may range in scale from the study of minerals under highly controlled laboratory conditions to methods applied to complex large field sites and geologic features. This task allowed for investigation and exploration of new applications, methodology, and research directions that require integratation of geologic, geochemical, and geophysical information for traditional and nontraditional mineral resource and mineral environmental applications. Topics included mineral carbonation as a means to mitigate negative effects of global climate change; petrophysical properties related to environmental rock properties; effects of volcanic processes on mineral alteration, identification of geologic features in ice-covered environments, metal sequestration in salts on playa, and integrated 3-D maps and interpretations of the formation of mineral deposits.

• CO₂ Sequestration Using Ultramafic and Carbonate Rocks
• Linking Petrophysical Properties to Environmental and Geological Factors
• East Antarctic Geophysical Surveys (Fire and Ice)
• Metal Cycling in Arid Environments
• Geophysics, Structure, and Fluid Flow

Geophysical Research: Evaluated and improved existing geophysical methods, software, and instrumentation used by USGS projects. Anticipated and developed new geophysical techniques and software applications that the USGS will need in the future. Maintained existing geophysical instrumentation and developed new instrumentation and techniques that lead to improved data resolution or provided new information about geological, hydrological, or cultural sources of geophysical anomalies.

• Geophysical Theory and Software
• Geophysical Instruments

Applied Geochemistry Research: Included a wide variety of applied geochemistry studies that have broad applications and frequently were conducted in collaboration with other USGS projects. These process-oriented research studies spanned scales (microscopic to regional) and environments (earth materials to human health) relevant to mineral and energy resources, water quality, climate change, ecosystem health, and human health. These studies frequently required specialized equipment and facilities, and numerous small laboratories support this work.

• Characterization and Extraction of Solid-Phase Metals
• Biogeochemical Methods
• Biotic Ligand Model Studies
• Dissolved Organic Carbon Studies
• Development of the MiniSipper, a Segmented Water Sampler
• Handcart Gulch Monitoring

Imaging Spectroscopy Research: Managed and enhanced the USGS Spectral Library, which forms the knowledge base for all imaging spectroscopy studies where materials identification and mineral mapping is a goal; the Library is a critical asset used by multiple projects under the Mineral Resources Program, the USGS response in Afghanistan, and USGS rapid responses (e.g., oil spill, and others). Maintained the spectroscopy laboratory and spectrometers, which are critical to all remote sensing studies conducted by the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center in Denver.

• Spectroscopy Research and Spectral Library
• ASD and Lab Spectrometers

Toxic Substances Hydrology Program Activities: The USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program provided objective scientific information on environmental contamination to improve characterization and management of contaminated sites, to protect human and environmental health, and to reduce potential future contamination problems. Some research topics on this project are funded through this program.

• Mineralogical Examination of Iron-Rich Precipitates and Metal-Mobility and Toxicity Studies
• Bioaccessibility of Metals in Sediment to Tree Swallows near Montezuma, Colorado
• Upper Arkansas River Fluvial Tailings

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