Berkeley Lab Earth Sciences Division: Basic Research Program

The Basic Research Program area covers fundamental earth sciences research conducted in support of the Department of Energy's science mission, which includes research in the natural sciences to provide a basis for new and improved energy technologies and for understanding and mitigating the environmental impacts of energy use. This part of the Earth Sciences Division's program also includes exploratory research in important new energy and environmental topics conducted under the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. The scientific insights and breakthroughs achieved in FERP often become the underpinnings for projects that support DOE's applied research and development program offices. Over the years, the basic earth sciences research program at Berkeley Lab has focused on three broad earth sciences problems, described below.

Fundamental studies of chemical and mass transport in geologic media with special reference to predictive modeling of multiphase, multicomponent, non-isothermal fluid flow in saturated and unsaturated fractured rocks.
The development of new isotopic techniques for understanding the nature of a broad range of global processes-from the relatively short-term effects of natural fluid migration in the crust to longer-term global climate variations.
Fundamental studies in the propagation of waves through geologic media with emphasis on new computational techniques for analyzing seismic/acoustic and broadband electromagnetic signals for high-resolution imaging of near-surface structures, such as possible fracture flow paths, and for inferring the types of fluids present in pores and fractures.

Results from these research endeavors have had major impacts on applied energy, environmental and radioactive waste management programs. Current research summaries are briefly described in the "Research Summaries " link above.

Funding:

Funding for research in the Basic Research Program comes from a variety of sources, including primarily the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Department of Engineering and Geosciences, and Office of Biological and Environmental Research, both in the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program at LBNL. Additional support comes from DOE's Office of Environmental Management, Environmental Management Science Program.

For more information, please contact:
Ernie Majer
Basic Research Program Head
Phone: 510-486-6709
Fax: 510-486-5686
Email: elmajer@lbl.gov