Materials Flow

Materials Flow - A New USGS Research Area
    Materials extracted from the earth are necessary to produce our most fundamental needs--food, clothing, and shelter.  Materials are also needed to maintain and improve our standard of living.  Materials flow, in the most literal sense, is a systems approach to understanding what happens to materials we use from the time a material is extracted through its processing, manufacturing, and disposition.  Traditionally, the USGS has focused on material sources.  In this new research area, the USGS has expanded it materials focus to the whole cycle; from source to disposition.  The purpose of this work is to understand how we use our resources, and to help identify policies and practices to make resource use more efficient and protect the environment.

Materials Flow Research and Support Activities