Skip to main content
Standing Committee

Board on Earth Sciences and Resources

The Board on Earth Sciences and Resources (BESR) coordinates National Academies' activities on Earth science issues, including studies of important national issues in the Earth sciences. BESR interacts with agencies, identifies opportunities for advancing basic research and understanding of Earth science information for policy decisions and reports on the applications of Earth sciences to important societal issues.

In progress

News and Updates

Best Practices, Opportunities for Plugging Orphan Wells Identified in New Report

News Release

Potentially hundreds of thousands of orphaned oil and gas wells across the U.S. remain unplugged or were sealed before modern standards existed, and pose risks to public health, the environment, and nearby communities. A new National Academies report examines technologies and best practices for plugging and remediating orphan wells.

Jun 11, 2026
Photo of the old rusty oil rigs with preasure valve

Precompetitive Geoscience Data in the United States: Benefits, Barriers, and Opportunities for Progress

Update

Register to join a June 17 virtual discussion exploring the value of precompetitive geoscience data sharing. Sessions will examine U.S. and international case studies, industry perspectives, and the potential for AI-enabled modeling and analysis using shared subsurface datasets.

Jun 1, 2026
Data Lake Big Data Warehouse Data Lake Platform Analytics Technology

Derisking the Future: Continental Drilling for Resource Exploration and Management

Update

The critical minerals needed for advanced technologies, the energy to power advanced manufacturing, and the groundwater resources to support AI and advanced computing all lie in the subsurface. Join our spring meeting on June 15

Jun 5, 2026

Publications

Subscribe to Emails from the National Academies
Stay up to date on activities, publications, and events by subscribing to email updates.