Earth Science Programs - Basic Research Opportunities in Earth Science - page 130

hydrology, the carbon cycle, bioremediation, and surface remediation. An
additional $2.2 billion is spent on applied programs that rely on the Earth
sciences, including the Yucca Mountain Project, environmental management,
fossil energy, geothermal energy development, and nonproliferation and
verification. Major basic research programs include the following:
• Geophysics and Earth Dynamics supports research on large-scale Earth
dynamics, evolution of geologic structures, properties of Earth materials,
rock mechanics, fracture and fluid-flow, and underground imaging.
• Geochemistry supports research on thermochemical properties of geologic
materials, rock-fluid interactions, organic geochemistry, and geochemical
transport.
• Energy Resource Recognition, Evaluation, and Utilization supports
research on resource definition and utilization, reservoir dynamics and
modeling, properties and dynamics of magma, and continental scientific
drilling.
• Hydrogeology supports research on fluid transport dynamics and
modeling, thermochemical properties of energy materials, and
perturbations of fluid flow.
• Climate and Hydrology supports research on global change.
• Carbon Cycle supports research related to understanding the geophysics
and geochemistry of potential reservoirs appropriate for subsurface
sequestration of CO 2 and identifying ways to enhance carbon
sequestration in biomass and soils.
• Bioremediation supports research on the potential of microorganisms to
remediate toxic chemicals at hazardous waste sites.
• Subsurface Remediation supports research related to transport modeling,
contaminant geochemistry, and characterization of sites contaminated by
nuclear weapons production and research.
These research activities are supported by a network of laboratories and
national user facilities, such as synchrotron light sources, as well as by high-
resolution microscopy, spectroscopy, and geophysical imaging tools.
EAR-DOE collaborations focus on synchrotron facilities, although DOE was
also a major contributor to the continental drilling program until 1995. (Congress
rescinded DOE funds because of a misperception that the program was being
“double funded.”) Although the increasing number of EAR programs is making
it more difficult to identify joint projects, DOE anticipates future collaboration
with EAR on DOE user facilities, such as an environmental molecular science
beamline at the Advanced Light Source and new neutron science facilities such
as the Spallation Neutron Source.