Michigan Geological Survey

10/19/2026

Last week MGS staff attended Geological Society of America's Connects 2026. MGS Director Sara Pearson representing the survey, MGRRE Director Dr. Autumn Haagsma had posters on geoscience workforce experiences and Precambrian core characterization, MGS/MGRRE student employee and WMU College of Arts and Sciences student Mallory Price had a poster on characterizing Niagaran cores for CCUS, and MGS staff John Esch presented on 3D modeling of the Michigan basin.

We had a great week of meeting and listening to students, and making new CONNECTions.

10/17/2026

10/16/2026

Tomorrow! Join us for an awesome hands-on Little Geologists program with guest Lisa Wininger from Michigan Geological Survey, starting at 10:30 a.m.

10/14/2026

2026 Earth Science Week: Critical Minerals for a Thriving Society. Michigan Beneath your feet (and in your car!).

10/13/2026

The 2026 Earth Science Week theme, “Critical Minerals for a Thriving Society,” highlights how critical minerals support essential needs and how the development of new technologies can affect which minerals are considered critical and how geoscience knowledge is essential for identifying, mining, refining, transporting, and using them responsibly. Geoscientists also address how mineral use impacts Earth’s systems, including landscapes, water and air quality, and the global carbon cycle.



Photo and caption credit: American Geosciences Institute

10/12/2026

It's the Geological Society of America Connects 2026 in Denver, CO! We are so excited for some of our staff to be at this event. John Esch presented on his 3D Modeling of the Michigan Basin!

10/09/2026

It's Friends & Alumni of WMU Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences annual Revel and Roll night! We can't wait to see alumni, family, and friends of the Geoscience Department!

Mark your calendars... we hope to see you on Oct. 9th!

10/08/2026

MGS geologists Eric and Augustine were back in Tuscola County recently to study exposed layers of sand, gravel, and clay. These layers were deposited thousands of years ago as ice age glaciers retreated from the Thumb of Michigan. Understanding the depositional environment of these layers helps guide our interpretation of the glacial history of Tuscola County, Michigan, and the Great Lakes region as a whole.

10/07/2026

Thank you, AVB!

10/02/2026

Check out our Michigan Rockhounding Map and GeoFinds Reporting Tool!
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/165ac3569c6d4c8794b27f7355a33323/page/Michigan-Rockhounding

Looking for a new place to rockhound in Michigan—or curious about what you might find there? The Michigan Rockhounding Map helps users locate rockhounding areas, review potential finds, and explore where specific rocks and minerals occur across the state.

Found something interesting while out rockhounding? Use the GeoFinds Reporting Tool to document and share your discovery. Submit a photo, location information, and a short description of your find—whether it is a Lake Superior agate, Petoskey stone, fossil coral, copper mineral, glacial erratic, or something you have not yet identified.

Each submission helps build a community-driven record of the rocks, minerals, fossils, and other geological materials people are finding across Michigan. It is a way to share discoveries, support public interest in Michigan geology, and help fellow rockhounds learn what may be found in different parts of the state.

Use the map to plan your next outing, collect only where permitted, respect private property and local rules, and share your GeoFinds afterward.

Find a place to explore. See what may be there. Share what you discover.