Earth Exploration
Understanding our planet & responsibly developing its resources
Earth Exploration: Focus Areas
Earth is more than our home — its natural resources are critical to every aspect of human life. Mines researchers are building our understanding of the earth’s structure, natural processes, and changing environments. We are using our knowledge to better predict and mitigate natural hazards, understand environmental cycles, address climate change, locate new reserves of critical resources, and develop methods of accessing these natural resources in a way that minimizes our impact on the planet. Explore our Earth research by focus area:
Exploring the Subsurface through Modeling & Mapping
Developing techniques to characterize and explore the earth’s subsurface.
Advanced Resource Extraction, Production, & Processing
Utilizing Mines’ expertise across petroleum and mining to find and access new resources in a sustainable way.
Earth & Planetary Processes
Building our understanding of Earth’s evolving systems and processes, and leveraging that knowledge to benefit society.
Managing Earth's Water Resources
Understanding water resources and cycles to build sustainable use practices.
Engineering Solutions for a Safer Planet
Applying Earth science principles to support the built environment and design safer structures.
Underground Infrastructure Development
Analyzing, designing, building, and monitoring underground infrastructure.
Technology Critical Materials & Supply Chains
Developing strategies to ensure access and manage supply of technology- and energy-critical minerals and metals.
Natural Resource Geopolitics & Economics
Studying the geopolitical and economic factors that shape natural resource development and management.
Using wood, a sustainable construction alternative, to build a 10-story building and test its ability to withstand seismic events: “To observe a full-scale tall building with a new lateral system that we believe will be resilient and even damage-free under large earthquakes – that is invaluable, not only for the science community but also the engineering community around the globe. This will add a more sustainable building option for seismically active regions.”
-Dr Shiling Pei,
Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Uniquely Mines: Explore our distinctive opportunities, expertise, & facilities
Earth Exploration: Research Collaborations
Mines embraces a culture of collaboration and has a history of building strategic partnerships across industry, academia, government, and national labs. Sharing capabilities and expertise enables us to accelerate and broaden our impact as we work together to engineer innovative solutions. Discover our Earth collaborations:
Earth Related News
- Ice-cored hills in the Arctic could help us detect water on other planets
- USGS, Colorado School of Mines establish joint industry program to explore potential of geologic hydrogen
- Mines to receive $1.5M in federal funding to explore potential of geologic hydrogen
- Colorado School of Mines, Idaho National Laboratory expand research partnership
- Associate Professor Shiling Pei recognized as top newsmaker by ENR