RESTRUCTURING AND RELOCATION OF THE MICHIGAN GEOLOGICAL SURVEY: GEOSCIENCE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

In October 2011, the non-regulatory, mapping and resource assessment functions of the Office of Geological Survey within the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality were transferred to the Department of Geosciences at Western Michigan University, thus restoring the Michigan Geological Survey (MGS). This transfer recognizes two major strengths of the Department: 1) subsurface core and data archival and research conducted at the Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education (MGRRE), and 2) surficial geological mapping carried out through the USGS STATEMAP and Great Lakes Geologic Mapping Coalition programs. MGRRE constitutes the state’s most complete repository of core (more than 400,000 ft), cuttings, logs (over 30,000 wells), and other subsurface data. These are the cornerstone for student education and ongoing research programs in petroleum geology, carbon sequestration, and geothermal energy in Michigan, which accounts for more than $1 Billion per year in well head value. Surficial geologic mapping in Michigan lags behind other states in the region. Current data provided by mapping is essential to land-use planning and sustainable economic development because it provides vital information such as the location of construction aggregate deposits and groundwater resources. Mapping programs of this type in nearby states have demonstrated a benefit: cost ratio of 25:1 or more. With the exception of a federal program for training student mappers, EDMAP, the MGS provides the sole source of current, ongoing surficial mapping in Michigan, much of which has never been mapped at the 1:24,000 scale. The Department expects to expand the work of the MGS to additional areas of applied research including metallic and non-metallic ore deposits, assessment of industrial mineral deposits, and evaluation of geologic hazards.