USGS Core Research Center

USGS Core Research Center The USGS Core Research Center preserves lithologic and stratigraphic collections for the United States Geological Survey mission and supports research by federal agencies, academic institutions, and industry partners. Located near Lakewood, Colorado, the facility safeguards drill cores, well cuttings, and associated geologic data used in studies tied to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service. Staff collaborate with researchers from institutions such as the Colorado School of Mines, University of Colorado Boulder, and private corporations including ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Shell plc.

Overview

The Core Research Center operates as a national repository coordinated with the United States Geological Survey programs including the National Geologic Map Database, Earthquake Hazards Program, and National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program. Its mission aligns with statutory frameworks like the Federal Records Act and policies from the National Archives and Records Administration while interfacing with regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Partners range from academic entities such as Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Texas at Austin, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Arizona to research organizations like the Smithsonian Institution and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The center supports projects tied to the Colorado Plateau, Rocky Mountains, Williston Basin, Permian Basin, and San Juan Basin.

Collections and Holdings

Collections include boxed and slabbed drill core from state surveys such as the Colorado Geological Survey, Wyoming State Geological Survey, Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, and the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. Holdings encompass stratigraphic sequences from formations like the Morrison Formation, Niobrara Formation, Chinle Formation, Dakota Sandstone, and Haynesville Shale. Paleontological and geochemical samples link to taxa or localities documented by the Paleobiology Database, museums such as the American Museum of Natural History and Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and fossil sites like Lagerstätte localities and Hell Creek Formation. The repository stores cuttings, cores, thin sections, x-ray diffraction samples, and petrographic mounts associated with projects funded by agencies including the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program.

Facilities and Operations

The facility features climate-controlled vaults, core cabinets, and slab saw laboratories with equipment from suppliers serving institutions like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Operational workflows follow standards used by the International Organization for Standardization and reporting tied to the Federal Geographic Data Committee. Staff trained in curation and metadata use systems interoperable with the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program archives, National Geothermal Data System, and OneGeology portals. Logistics coordinate with transportation partners and federal couriers linked to Denver International Airport and regional rail networks serving the Rocky Mountain region. Security and preservation practices reference guidelines from the National Park Service Museum Management Program and conservation protocols used by the Library of Congress.

Research and Services

The center supports research in sedimentology, stratigraphy, petroleum geology, hydrogeology, and mineral resources by investigators affiliated with entities such as USGS Energy Resources Program, USGS Water Mission Area, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, American Geophysical Union, Geological Society of America, Society of Economic Geologists, Society for Sedimentary Geology, and universities including University of California, Berkeley and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Services include physical sampling, digitization, geochemical assays run in collaboration with labs like Geochemical Society member facilities, and thin-section petrography used in studies published in journals like Science, Nature, Geology, Journal of Sedimentary Research, and AAPG Bulletin. Projects supported range from basin analysis in the Gulf of Mexico and Appalachian Basin to geothermal assessments in the Great Basin and critical-minerals surveys in the Western United States.

Access and Public Programs

Access policies permit researchers from institutions such as Columbia University, Princeton University, Yale University, and state geological surveys to request loans or visits under agreements mirroring cooperative models used by the National Science Foundation and Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit Service. Public outreach includes tours coordinated with schools like Denver Public Schools and presentations at meetings hosted by organizations such as the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation. Data dissemination connects to national portals including the National Geologic Map Database and collaborations with initiatives like the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit and NASA Earth science outreach. The center engages with stakeholders from state agencies, tribal governments including Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and Southern Ute Indian Tribe, energy companies, and non-profits like the Nature Conservancy.

Category:United States Geological Survey Category:Geological repositories Category:Lakewood, Colorado