Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
Welcome to the Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center (GGGSC) located in Lakewood, Colorado on the Denver Federal Center. At GGGSC, we apply expertise in geology, geophysics, and geochemistry to interdisciplinary efforts in support of the USGS mission to address the Nation’s important earth science issues, with an emphasis on rare earth mineral resources.
Laboratories
Laboratories
Our center has several laboratories, ranging from geophysics to geochemistry to spectroscopy to scanning electron microscopes.
Science Branches
Science Branches
Our strong science portfolio integrates regional and economic geology with a broad range of geophysical, geochemical, analytical expertise. Our center has four scientific branches:
News
Department of the Interior launches effort to recover critical minerals from mine waste
Department of the Interior launches effort to recover critical minerals from mine waste
Low-Level Flights to Image Geology Over Parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Illinois
Low-Level Flights to Image Geology Over Parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Illinois
Recently completed geophysical survey will help protect critical infrastructure from geomagnetic storms and space weather
Recently completed geophysical survey will help protect critical infrastructure from geomagnetic storms and space weather
Publications
Sampling and analysis plan for the water-quality monitoring program in Lake Koocanusa and upper Kootenai River, Montana, water years 2022–23 Sampling and analysis plan for the water-quality monitoring program in Lake Koocanusa and upper Kootenai River, Montana, water years 2022–23
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, collected water-quality samples and environmental data in Lake Koocanusa (also known as “Koocanusa Reservoir”), the Kootenai River, and the Tobacco River during water years 2022–23. The transboundary Lake Koocanusa is in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and northwestern Montana, United States...
Insights into Mountain Pass carbonatite formation from in-situ sulfur isotopes and geochemistry of sulfate and sulfide minerals Insights into Mountain Pass carbonatite formation from in-situ sulfur isotopes and geochemistry of sulfate and sulfide minerals
The Mountain Pass carbonatite stock hosts a world-class rare earth element deposit and may be classified as a carbonate-sulfate igneous rock, as it contains on average > 50 volume percent carbonate minerals and 20 to 30 volume percent sulfate minerals. The sulfates range in composition from barite to celestine and locally occur with sparse sulfide minerals. We investigate the origin of...
Science
Copper mining, critical minerals, and long-term drought in the Southwest United States
Long-term drought in the Southwest U.S. affects water use across many sectors as well as the natural environment. The Southwest U.S. is an important area for mining porphyry copper deposits, which consist of copper minerals disseminated in breccia, a type of rock composed of coarse rock fragments held together by cement or a fine-grained matrix, that are the World's largest source of copper...
Controls on Critical Element Enrichment in Carbonatite-Alkaline Igneous Complexes
The project seeks to determine the processes responsible for critical element enrichment in carbonatites and to enhance our ability to identify and assess economic deposits. This project will work at various scales to meet this objective and will primarily focus on deposits within the US or our USGS collaborative Nations.
USMIN Mineral Deposit Database
The USMIN Mineral Deposit Database Project develops national-scale geospatial databases that provide authoritative information on the most significant mines, mineral deposits, and mining districts in the United States. These resources advance the understanding of domestic mineral resources and are available through the output of digital data products, journal articles, presentations, and other...