GEO - Budget

The FY 2009 Budget Request for the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) is $848.67 million, an increase of $96.01 million, or 12.8 percent, over the FY 2008 Estimate of $752.66 million.

The mission of the Geosciences Activity (GEO) is to support the research, infrastructure, and education in the atmospheric, earth, and ocean sciences needed to advance our understanding of the integrated Earth system. Breakthroughs in observation techniques, modeling, and understanding complex Earth systems
are coming just at the time when society is in critical need of sound scientific advice on how to mitigate or adapt to changes in the habitability of the planet. The geosciences stand poised to make tremendous contributions to improve the quality of life by providing useful information to decision makers about the key planetary processes, their complex interactions, and where possible, their future implications.

The Geosciences Activity supports basic research that contributes to a better understanding of the many processes that affect global environment such as the role of the atmosphere and oceans in climate, the genesis of earthquakes, and the effects of increased concentrations of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Support is provided for interdisciplinary studies in climate and hydrologic systems, biogeochemical dynamics, ecological systems and dynamics, solid earth processes, and solar influences on the Earth system. Associated with these studies is the need for databases and cyberinfrastructure to provide the scientific community with the resources to assemble and utilize data and information efficiently and effectively.

Additional Information on the FY 2009 Geosciences Budget Request (Adobe .pdf file)