The mission of the Bureau of Economic Geology is to serve society by conducting objective,
impactful, and integrated geoscience research on earth resources, energy, the environment,
and economics. The organization’s research enterprise adapted to evolving landscapes to meet
new challenges head-on.
Is a hydrogen economy on the horizon? The GeoH2 consortium focuses on geological hydrogen
storage, related techno-economics, and novel concepts such as in situ generation of hydrogen. Can we utilize the natural heat energy that underlies so much of the Earth’s surface? The
new HotRock consortium explores tapping geothermal energy as a power source. Is carbon
capture and underground storage a viable solution to reducing CO2 emissions? The Gulf
Coast Carbon Center is at the forefront of the science to store CO2 in rock formations under
Texas’ coastal waters.
Other Bureau research efforts are equally innovative. The Texas Soil Observation Network uses
satellites to measure soil moisture, contributing insights toward drought reduction strategies.
The Comparing Electricity Options consortium takes a cradle-to-grave approach to realistically account for the economic and environmental costs of electricity generation methods. The
TexNet statewide seismic monitoring network and the Center for Injection and Seismicity
Research work to mitigate impacts from Texas’ recent earthquake activity. The Economic Mineral
Resources Program explores for new supplies of critical minerals and rare earth elements to
meet the nation’s increasing requirement for these strategic ores.
This 2022 Annual Report recounts the wide range of efforts that Bureau of Economic Geology
researchers, students, and staff undertook in the pursuit of producing impactful research.
Authors
- Published in
- United States of America
