Core Research Center
The Core Research Center preserves thousands of valuable rock cores, cuttings and thin sections for reuse by scientists and educators from government, industry, and academia.
It is home to more than 9,900 rock cores and 53,000 cuttings wells from 36 states, which represent more than 252 million linear feet of drilling. The estimated replacement cost of this collection is estimated to be more than 80 billion dollars.
The Core Research Center is part of the USGS National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program (NGGDPP).
About Us
Learn more about what cores and cuttings are and how our work benefits the American public.
Our Collection
Search for cores and cuttings housed at the Core Research Center.
We welcome visitors!
Access the Collection
If you would like to access the collection for research or education, please browse the Core Research Center catalog and become familiar with our services and policies. Then, email us (crc@usgs.gov) when you are ready to book an appointment.
Book a Tour
We provide public tours of our core warehouse by appointment. Email us (crc@usgs.gov) with your request.
We are open Monday through Friday by appointment, and closed on all federal holidays.
Collections Highlights: Every core has a story!
Our collection contains some storied cores and collections, from samples that have helped answer important geologic questions about energy resources, natural hazards, and water resources - to some that are just plain cool.
Explore some highlights here, including cores from an expedition to Yellowstone National Park, a volcano in Hawaii, a nuclear testing site, and along a major earthquake fault!
