Michigan Geological Survey advances with new leadership, facility and funding
2024 was an exciting year for the Michigan Geological Survey, marked by new leadership and funding to build new facilities and advance carbon capture projects throughout Michigan.
Sara Pearson, an alumna of the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, was appointed as director of MGS in July. As director, Pearson will further MGS’s mission of facilitating comprehensive geological research and promoting the responsible utilization of Michigan’s valuable geological resources. Pearson has worked in the environmental field of Michigan for over 30 years and has been a member of the WMU Geosciences Advisory Board since 2012. Additionally, Pearson is the first female director in the history of the MGS.
“Returning to WMU to lead the Survey is a thrilling honor for me as a geoscientist. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of retired Director John Yellich and State Geologist Adam Wygant with the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy in securing sustainable base funding after decades of dormancy, we are now at a pivotal moment,” Pearson says. “We have significant work ahead to gather essential data, conduct cutting-edge research and develop innovative tools that will empower all Michiganders to better understand, promote wise use and protect our vital natural resources.”
In addition to welcoming new leadership, the Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education (MGRRE), home to the MGS, is preparing for a major relocation. Backed in part by $6 million in state funds, the repository will move to a new site adjacent to the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, with construction beginning fall 2025. The repository houses vital geological data, including oil, gas and mineral well samples, as well as records dating back to the late 1800s. The strategic new location for the repository and lab spaces is intended to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among students, scientists and industry professionals, while providing expanded space to support the growing volume of geological data housed in MGRRE.
Over the past year, MGS has been at the forefront of research in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) — the process of safely capturing carbon dioxide from the air and storing it underground to mitigate the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. These efforts have focused on reservoir and seal characterization, wellbore integrity and brine disposal solutions to support carbon storage across the state. Several of these projects have been selected to receive significant federal funding, solidifying MGS and WMU as global leaders in carbon capture research.
In June, Project CleanMI, an initiative led by Mert Atilhan, associate professor of chemical and paper engineering, and Autumn Haagsma, assistant director of MGS and director of MGREE, received $750,000 in the latest budget from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The goal of Project CleanMI is to develop a system to safely capture and store carbon dioxide underground, which will provide undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students with hands-on experience in cutting-edge research.
The state funding builds upon a $2.25 million federal grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory earlier in the year, both of which were celebrated by Michigan Sen. Sean McCann and U.S. Sen. Gary Peters.
“This project has brought together the diverse expertise WMU has to offer, pairing the capture technology with subsurface storage, to create a strong CCUS program,” Haagsma says. “These projects allow us to integrate applied sciences that offer real solutions to climate concerns, into classrooms, provide experience-based learning opportunities and support for undergraduate and graduate student research.”
Additionally, WMU and its partners were selected for a $5 million award to map Michigan’s subsurface. Leveraging the capacity of the Michigan Basin as a potential key carbon storage site, the project, titled “Regional Technical Assistance Partnership — A Roadmap to CCUS in Michigan,” will integrate carbon capture technology, subsurface geology, carbon management solutions, hazard mitigation and more. The award is part of a $44 million grant from the DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management which provides technical assistance in geologic basins targeted for carbon storage.
MGS was also selected to take part in CarbonSAFE projects, a $444 million investment from the DOE. As part of this program, MGS was chosen for a $2.2 million award in collaboration with BP Carbon Solutions in Houston, Texas to assess a carbon dioxide storage corridor stretching from Northern Indiana to Southern Michigan. The project will focus on conducting detailed site characterization, planning and permitting stages of project development.
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