Our research focuses on three major areas central to ensuring the sustainable development of society: (1) Utilization of the geo-environment to establish a sustainable and stable energy cycle, (2) protection of the geo-environment for the safety and health of all, and (3) procurement of a stable supply of natural resources for industrial and social activities. This brochure describes ten noteworthy projects carried out at our institute over the past year. The items selected for this brochure were chosen because of their

• Scientific and technological promise
• High standards of technological transfer through collaboration
• Initiatives to build the foundation of a geologic knowledge base

I sincerely hope that this brochure will help you understand the nature, activities, and contributions of our institute.

1. Development of large-scale groundwater modeling of the Yellow River basin, China
2. Development of a system using GIS for managing and analyzing environmental noise in cities
3. Study of the seawater/freshwater interface in Tokai-mura, Japan
4. Development of vibration probe penetration test for liquefaction analysis
5. Development of a method for making induced polarization measurements on a base rock
6. Discovery of flood-generated deposits from the deep-sea floor in the Japan Sea
7. Development and application of a method for evaluating the biomass of living methanogens in sediment
8. Achievement of nationwide mapping of permeability in Japan
9. Evaluation of potential of stratabound manganese deposits to supply heavy rare earths
10. Mineral resource dataset and mineral resource map of Asia