Tuesday, 9 September, 2025 / Edition 75

I have a slight fear that summer has officially left the mountains of Colorado. This latest cold front might have brought an abrupt, sad ending and ushered in fall less like a lamb and more like a lion. Though I will be sad to shelve my shorts and t-shirts, fall means sweatpants and hoodies (perk!) ...actually, the t-shirts might persist some through fall.

Ushering out the old to make space for the new is the theme of this week’s edition, as we look at an updated map the USGS put out recently (you might have already heard about it!), as well as the multitude of ways companies are working to deliver power where it’s needed when it’s needed. Let’s dig in!

Sarah Compton

Editor, Enspired

New Understandings Might Await Thanks to New Maps

Agafonov Oleg/Shutterstock

Kindergartner skills beware: I like to joke that a major part of my job as a geologist is high-risk coloring.

Stay between the lines: I’m referring, of course, to geologic maps, and the high-risk part comes in because of their importance:

• Maps drive exploration for new minerals across all sectors.

• They delineate our resources in terms of volume, type, and location.

• They highlight areas we might need to focus future efforts.

Great ROI: That list is by no means inclusive, and in a cost-benefit study that geoscientists might intuitively know but have a hard time quantifying, the ROI of a good geologic map can be up to 10x the cost.

Putting in the time: Making maps used to be time-consuming, expensive, and executed using the geologic equivalent of a hammer and chisel (Brunton, paper map, and pencil).

Hardware has led a revolution in our mapping capabilities, with technology like drones building off satellites, planes, and sometimes helicopters to carry the instruments that get us the data we need.

Programming matters: Software has come a long way, too.

No more rabbit holes: Gone are the days of browsing through giant drawers we hope are labeled correctly, only to get sidetracked anyway by some really cool, but potentially irrelevant, historic map.

Freedom of movement: We can now move between maps of different localities, geologic information, and scales with ease.

Automation to the rescue: Aside from improving our access to the data held in a map, software has boosted the speed with which those maps can be made, and this USGS map utilized an automated solution to effectively combine maps from state surveys and the USGS.

What they're saying: “…past national maps took decades to create while our new method allows us to update our national map faster than ever possible before,” said Sam Johnstone, a USGS research geologist and lead developer for the mapping project.  

Bringing it all together: The USGS has released the updated and powerful map using more than 100 preexisting geologic maps from various sources.

It’s the first nation-scale map that allows users to browse through different layers of geologic information for one location from a single map.

Data good. Free data great: That means access to multiple data sources, such as rock age and geomaterial, is at our fingertips…for free.

Something for everyone: The map is set for both geoscientists and the public at large to use it relatively easily, and I can see many geologic studies starting with this tool as an initial overview of regional and local geology.

“This map provides complete, analysis-ready, geologic data for the nation, in a format that is easy to expand going forward,” said Joseph Colgan, a USGS research geologist and leader of the team that created the map. “By providing this map online, we aim to enhance educational engagement and foster a greater public appreciation of geology.”

Follow up: To see the release from the USGS, go here.

To look at this beautiful map, go here.

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It’s All on the Table

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Growing like a weed: The need for energy is undeniable and growing.

Something for everyone: Developing nations want to build out what developed nations already have, and developed nations are finding themselves faced with a seemingly exponential growth in need.

A full spectrum: Many options for power sources are emerging: everything from what must now be considered “classic” renewables like wind and solar, to more creative solutions like modular nuclear and microgrids.

Generating power is a tough prospect:

• The source must be of economic and scalable value.

• The location must be close enough to the source and end users not to be lost or diminished too much during distribution.

• The source must be able to plug into the grid, and this can be a major sticking point that takes years for some projects, despite the need being immediate.

An “all in” solution, that is, really many smaller, more nimble ones, seems to be necessary if we have any interest in reigning in our use of fossil fuels, but also because some energy needs go beyond what fossil fuels can optimally provide.

Stepping up: Companies are stepping in to fill this gap, and AAPG is hosting a webinar on 11 September to explore subsurface resources that can power us through.

Treasures below: Our forays into subsurface solutions beyond oil include natural gas, hydrogen, and geothermal energy.

Growing growth: On their own, they’ve struggled to gain footholds but are finding momentum piggybacking off tech from the petroleum industry, but also harnessing fit-for-purpose solutions that are as unique as their challenges and needs.

Those solutions are also combining with the transmission and harness side to maximize performance.

The bottom line: High-performance turbines and microgrids can get electrons where they’re needed quickly and reliably.

Closer and better: Once sources can be moved closer to users through these methods, the need for long distance pipelines and transmission lines decreases, which should also boost the resilience of the grid.

These strategies are coming together to shape the future of energy generation and delivery. To learn more about them, join the webinar here.

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✉️ To get in touch with Sarah or suggest a topic for Enspired, send an email to editorial@aapg.org.