U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2007–3109

December 2007

FACING TOMORROW’S CHALLENGES: USGS SCIENCE IN THE DECADE 2007–2017

Energy and Minerals for America’s Future

Printed on recycled paper

In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed a science strategy outlining 

the major natural science issues facing the Nation in the next decade. The science strategy consists of six science directions of critical importance, focusing on 

areas where natural science can make a substantial contribution to the well-being 

of the Nation and the world. This fact sheet focuses on energy and minerals and 

how USGS research can strengthen the Nation with information needed to meet the 

challenges of the 21st century.

Importance of Energy and 

Minerals to the Nation

Reliable, accessible, and adequate 

supplies of energy and mineral resources 

are essential to sustain the American 

economy and standard of living. The 

Nation faces increasing demand for 

energy and mineral resources, a growing 

dependence on resources imported from 

other countries, increasing pressure to 

consider alternative energy sources, and 

a need to minimize environmental effects 

associated with use and development of 

resources.

Availability of energy and minerals 

resources in the future will be dominated 

by two issues:

1. Effects of globalization—The global 

economy is increasing the competition for vital natural resources. This 

globalization of world markets and 

increasing demand for energy and 

mineral resources in other countries 

can lead to domestic scarcity, market 

volatility, and higher prices. We can 

reduce our vulnerability through 

knowledge and planning.

2. Environmental effects—Changes 

to land, water, and the environment 

resulting from the use of energy and 

mineral resources will factor more 

strongly into how society chooses 

to use these resources. We can take 

a multidisciplinary approach to 

understand the “life cycle” of energy 

and mineral resources—from their 

occurrence and formation processes, 

to extraction methods, use, and waste 

products. The Nation will have to 

plan for evolving and unanticipated 

future energy and mineral requirements within the broader environmental perspective of sustainability.

Why Action is Needed Now

It is inevitable that the United 

States will move to diversify its energy 

sources to reduce dependence on foreign 

sources and to address issues of greenhouse gas emissions. It also is likely 

that the United States will be involved 

in building new technologies. The focus 

of USGS research will shift in anticipation of and as a reflection of national 

and international trends in diversifying 

energy resources and evolving needs for 

rare and scarce materials used in industry and defense. Developing alternative 

fuel sources such as gas hydrate, coalbed 

methane, oil shale, geothermal resources, 

wind, and biofuels will reduce depen-

★ Ecosystems Climate ★ ★ Energy and Minerals ★ Natural Hazards Environment and Human Health Water ★ ★ ★

United States energy consumption by source of fuel since World 

War II. For the past 20 years, consumption of hydrocarbon fuels 

has steadily increased (Energy Information Administration, 2005, 

Annual Energy Review. Online at http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/

aer/contents.html.)

1950 

0

15

30

45

Quadrillion Btu

Natural Gas

Hydroelectric Power

Nuclear Electric Power

Coal

Petroleum

Biomass

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Energy Resource Use in the United States, 1950-2005

Unprocessed, nonfuel mineral materials put into use annually 

in the United States from 1900–2003. (From Matos, 2007, U.S. 

Geological Survey, Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5194.)

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2003

Primary metals

Recycled metals

Industrial minerals

Natural aggregates

World War I

World War II

Great Depression

Oil crisis

Recessions

EXPLANATION

Year

Million metric tons

Mineral Resource Use in the United States
dence on fossil fuels and strengthen the 

economic vitality and competitiveness 

of the Nation. Resource management on 

Federal land will need to accommodate 

ecosystem-based practices to balance 

competing demands, particularly as offshore Federal lands may face increasing 

pressure for development.

How the USGS Can Help

The USGS is uniquely qualified to 

implement this science strategy because 

of its broad range of expertise, experience 

in interdisciplinary thinking and action, 

and proven skills in building customer 

relationships. The science strategy unites 

and integrates all USGS capabilities and 

takes advantage of its strength and position as a nonregulatory Federal agency 

with national scope and responsibilities.

The USGS will build on its traditional strengths of mapping, modeling, 

and conducting fundamental research 

to improve the reliability and accuracy 

of national and global assessments of 

energy and mineral resources. Long-term 

databases and information summaries 

will be expanded to include a broader 

range of related land, water, and environmental concerns and to place a greater 

emphasis on environmental consequences 

of resource use. The USGS, with its 

expertise in geology, hydrology, biology, 

and geography is ideally poised to move 

in this expanded direction.

Gold mining operation at the Waihi mining district, New Zealand. The USGS supports 

research and assessments of minerals, as well as collection of minerals information on a 

global scale. Photograph by Robert S. Seal, U.S. Geological Survey.

USGS Science Can Meet the Challenge

The USGS is ready to take action by:

•	 Maintaining and updating USGS long-term geological and geophysical databases 

and geochemical baselines used to develop resource assessments.

•	 Producing, updating, and improving national and global assessments of energy 

and mineral resources, especially as energy sources diversify and new requirements for rare and scarce materials used by the Nation emerge.

•	 Developing multidisciplinary approaches to energy and mineral assessments to 

account for the “life cycles” of resources and the environmental effects of exploration, extraction, and use.

•	 Developing procedures to evaluate and understand the effects of resource use on 

ecosystem processes.

•	 Making USGS assessments and research available to the public and government 

officials so that science can inform, advise, and engage decisionmakers.

•	 Continuing to improve and expand geologic, biologic, and hydrologic understanding of assessment methodology for alternative energy resources as the Nation 

moves to a more diversified energy mix (such as coalbed methane, oil shale, tight 

gas sands, shale gas, gas hydrates, geothermal energy, uranium, and biofuels).

•	 Anticipating, identifying, and developing understanding of the occurrence, genesis, and risk associated with using new mineral resources.

•	 Improving scientific understanding of the origin and occurrence of energy and 

mineral resource deposits, using this knowledge to improve the accuracy and 

reduce the uncertainty of resources assessments.

•	 Developing scientific methods for monitoring and assessing biological and geological carbon sequestration resources, including assessment of interdependencies among land, water, and ecosystem resources that may be affected by carbon 

management decisions.

A Vision For the Future

Energy and minerals information 

from the USGS, including national 

and global resource assessments, 

remains the standard used by 

industry and government. Evaluation of alternative energy and mineral resources (including renewable 

resources) keeps pace with technological developments. Scientists in 

USGS continuously enhance their 

understanding of the formation of 

energy and mineral resources and 

routinely include environmental 

and “life-cycle” expertise into studies and assessments.

For Additional Information

U.S. Geological Survey, 2007, Facing 

Tomorrow’s Challenges—U.S. Geological Survey Science in the Decade 

2007–2017: Available online at http://

pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/cir/cir1309

Also, visit the USGS home page at

http://www.usgs.gov/