Welcome to the Earth Resource Laboratory (ERL) at MIT.
At ERL, we are dedicated to developing innovative strategies for sustainably and responsibly addressing modern societal needs, such as energy production, access to critical minerals, freshwater, and the safe, permanent storage of atmospheric CO₂. As climate change's impacts become more pronounced, it is imperative that society finds new ways to sustain and enhance living standards globally while conserving our invaluable natural resources and protecting the environment. The transition towards 'green energy' and the evolving climate scenario pose both significant challenges and opportunities. At ERL, our approach involves thinking creatively and exploring 'out-of-the-box' approaches to provide Earth-based solutions to one of humanity's most pressing issues: adapting our society to the realities of a changing climate
We build upon our long history of collaborative, pluridisciplinary research with colleagues across different disciplines at MIT and other universities, industry partners and policy makers. Our new focus is on scalable, practical solutions that can become economically viable means for re-engineering our use of energy and other resources.
Our research encompasses the development of new knowledge, methodologies, and processes in several cutting-edge areas:
CO2-Sequestration:
Sequestration Techniques: We focus on innovative methods to store atmospheric CO2 safely and permanently. Our efforts include developing innovative methods utilizing biological catalysis to sequester CO2 at profit.
Energy:
Geothermal Energy Extraction: Harnessing geothermal power from the subsurface.
Chemical Reactions: Evaluating subterranean chemical processes that produce natural hydrogen (H₂) through stimulation or accumulation.
Resources:
In-Situ Mining: Extracting critical metals through processes that negate the need for large open-pit mines.
Freshwater Management: Overseeing the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
Methodology:
We continue ERL’s long tradition in developing cutting edge methodology that are essential to many of our projects. These include geophysical imaging and inverse theory to characterize the subsurface, modelling of flow through porous media, with thermo-mechanical-chemical coupling.
Building on a long tradition of multidisciplinary collaboration, we at MIT focus on developing scalable and economically viable solutions for re-engineering the use of energy and resources. ERL unites MIT researchers with industry experts, nonprofits, and policymakers from diverse sectors to stimulate novel ideas and translate these into actionable strategies. The unique and ambitious nature of our projects, which carry both high risks and high rewards, often makes them difficult to fund through conventional means, underscoring the critical role of our, industry partners, donors and consortium members.
We invite you to visit our Projects page to delve deeper into our initiatives. If you're interested in supporting our work or joining our dynamic team, from high school interns to experienced professionals, please check out our Support and Job Opportunities pages.
All the best,
Oli Jagoutz
Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Geology
Director of ERL
