Geochemical & Environmental Research Group

The Geochemical and Environmental Research Group

The Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG) is a center of excellence in applied geosciences within the College of Geosciences of Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University has a long history of accomplishments in education, research and public service since it was founded in 1876.

GERG was formed in 1981 and has a staff of over 30 research scientists, managers, professionals, technicians, graduate students, and student workers with a broad range of experience and expertise in geochemistry, oceanography, environmental/analytical chemistry, atmospheric sciences, marine chemistry, marine biology, physical oceanography, and other environmental fields. GERG has established the facilities necessary to achieve its diverse research goals. GERG was named a university center by the Texas A&M Board of Regents in 1987.

Funding for GERG for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2005 was ~$2.5 million with half from governmental and half from industrial sources.

The Mission Statement of GERG outlines the organization's philosophy:

The Geochemical and Environmental Research Group serves the University and the State in matters pertaining to science and the environment. We support the mission of the College of Geosciences through an emphasis on applied geosciences research. Regionally, nationally, and globally we strive to serve by linking academic education and research in our College and in our University to the real-world needs of government and industry. As a team, we value initiative, innovation, and performance. We take pride in our flexible, state-of-the-art capabilities for research, analyses, and monitoring. We recognize that continued excellence in this area requires our personal commitment at every level of training and experience.

GERG is organized as three interrelated groups working together to provide wide ranging capabilities including field acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data across several different interlocking themes in resource geosciences, environmental sciences, and ocean sciences.

The Environmental Sciences group strives to better understand the changes occurring across our planet as a consequence of human impacts on the environment. The group provides information needed to monitor the current status, to predict change, and to ultimately protect the environment. This goal is accomplished by maintaining a core of specialized instrumentation to generate analytical contaminant data and scientific expertise needed to interpret what the data mean. The objective is to disseminate that data and insight to government and industry stakeholders.

The analytical laboratory is a state-of-the-art analytical chemistry facility with capabilities for analyzing a wide range of organic and inorganic chemical species in air, water, soil, sediment, and tissues. Laboratory operations are conducted under a Quality Assurance Management Plan to provide high quality, valid and defensible data. Maintenance of cutting edge research through continuous improvement of instrumental sophistication methods and efficiency is a cornerstone of the laboratory operations.

The Environmental Sciences group provides applied research and project management in the general area of environmental chemistry to numerous clients.

The Resource Geosciences group has had a significant impact on the oil and gas industry and serves as a major source of scientific expertise to the energy industry. One area of research focuses on locating, sampling, and analyzing samples of naturally occurring oil and gas seeps in the offshore regions worldwide. Over 30,000 sea-floor piston core samples have been acquired and subjected to geochemical analyses by GERG. This is the largest database and sample repository of its kind in the world. The data and core samples provide insight into the history of fluid flow in many of the world's major petroleum basins.

Geochemical research also includes the analysis of chemical fossils found in oil and rocks known as biomarkers. These complex molecules provide important information for understanding the origins of petroleum, the burial history of basins, and the migration pathways of source rocks to reservoirs.

A renewed emphasis in hydrate research is exemplified by an energy industry consortia, the Applied Gas Hydrate Research Program (AGHRP), currently supported by 8 subscribers.

The Ocean Sciences group specializes in applied oceanographic research. The team provides services and performs research for a variety of sponsors in the government and industrial sectors. It has experience performing physical oceanography projects such as regional hydrographic studies, moored current meter measurements, and Acoustic Doppler Current Meter (ADCP) measurements. It also has experience in carrying out high-resolution geophysical surveys for hazard evaluation and research. Advanced techniques such as video and laser line scan imaging are used to perform engineering and ecological studies in the deep sea from research submersibles and other platforms.

The Ocean Sciences group has an international reputation for the design and deployment of current meter systems and other oceanographic devices in the coastal zone. Over the past several years, current meter moorings have been deployed and serviced in support of sites in three West African countries. Hydrographic surveys in the Gulf of Mexico and West Africa have also been conducted.

The Ocean Sciences group field operations uses research vessels to acquire samples for many projects. This group routinely mobilizes environmental and geochemical sampling and coring programs. Responsibilities of the group include maintenance of an inventory of vessels, equipment, and vehicles. The division has successfully completed many large piston coring projects for the energy industry.