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On September 6, the USGS released the U.S. Geological Survey Climate Science Plan—Future Research Directions, the culmination of a two-year effort by the Climate Science Plan Writing Team. The team was charged with identifying the major climate science topics of future concern and developing an integrated approach to conducting climate science in support of the USGS, Department of the Interior (DOI), and administration priorities. The overarching purpose of the plan was to define the scope and delivery of critical climate science, identify future research directions, and outline opportunities to increase our climate science capacity and expand our research portfolio.  

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Climate is one of the primary drivers of environmental change and a priority in defining science conducted across all USGS mission areas. USGS climate science provides the nation with forward-looking, evidence-based information and approaches to assist in planning for and adapting to a changing world. For the first time, the USGS Climate Science Plan provides guidelines for conducting the bureau’s climate science, emphasizing the transdisciplinary nature of the work. The plan embraces co-produced science and Indigenous Knowledge, understanding that climate change disproportionately affects less resilient communities. And no science plan would be complete without focusing on clear, consistent, and equitable communication of our scientific activities. The guidelines acknowledge the USGS’s unique climate science niche within DOI and the federal government, the role our science plays in potentially informing policy, as well as the relevance of our research for the nation, our stakeholders, and our international partners.  

The plan highlights three future climate science research directions: 1) characterizing climate change and associated impacts, 2) assessing climate change risks and developing approaches to mitigate climate change, and 3) providing climate science tools and support.  

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Characterizing climate change and its impacts includes goals related to long-term, broad-scale monitoring, providing leadership on greenhouse gas emissions on DOI lands, collaborating with federal programs and other agencies to study climate impacts on ecosystems, and improving data synthesis both within the USGS and between the USGS and agency partners. Key goals related to assessing and reducing climate change risk include linking climate change impacts to risk assessments; reducing uncertainties in models and designing early warning systems; and creating decision support tools to inform and expand mitigation and adaptation measures, particularly through collaboration with land management agencies, use of nature-based solutions, or integration with federal greenhouse gas monitoring efforts. To provide climate adaptation services, the USGS’s goals are to facilitate co-production of knowledge, enhance data capabilities, build capacity through development of training curricula, and coordinate with other agencies.  

Twelve specific goals are identified to achieve these future research directions and are supported by specific strategies and expected impacts and outcomes of research investments.  

1. Conduct long-term, broad-scale, and multidisciplinary measurements and monitoring and research activities to define, quantify, and predict the impacts of climate change on natural and human systems. 
2. Provide leadership to standardize measuring, monitoring, reporting, and verifying greenhouse gas emissions, lateral carbon fluxes, and carbon sinks across lands managed by the DOI. 
3. Provide science capacity, training, tools, and infrastructure to Tribal partners; support Tribal-led science initiatives. 
4. Conduct climate change research in partnership with the broader climate science community. 
5. Develop improved data synthesis methods through collaborative and open science across mission areas and between the USGS and bureau partners.  
6. Translate climate change impacts into risk assessments in support of risk management strategies. 
7. Develop new and improved risk assessments, models, and approaches for mitigating climate change, adapting to its impacts, and reducing uncertainties; design early warning systems for risk mitigation. 
8. Investigate climate change mitigation strategies and create decision-science support tools to inform climate change mitigation and adaptation. 
9. Provide a framework that facilitates knowledge co-production needed to inform policy decisions. 
10. Provide access to USGS data and information through novel integration and visualization approaches. 
11. Build capacity within the USGS and DOI through development of scientific training curricula. 
12. Coordinate science and capacity building efforts broadly across the federal government. 

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To ensure successful implementation of the USGS Climate Science Plan, the authors outline numerous opportunities, including strategic planning for workforce development, the recruitment of the next generation of climate scientists, social scientists, and support staff, and investments in long-term scientific innovation across USGS mission areas. The plan also details the existing USGS climate science capabilities to demonstrate the breadth of our work, while also identifying capacity gaps.  

By defining the USGS’s long-term climate science priorities, we can ensure that critical science themes and activities will continue and expand along with newly available data, innovative technologies, and evolving scientific and public information needs. This will position the USGS to continue to serve as one of the nation’s leading climate science agencies.  

Special thanks to the members of the writing team for their contributions: 

Tamara Wilson – Western Geographic Science Center  

Ryan Boyles – Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center 

Nicole DeCrappeo – Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center  

Judith Drexler – California Water Science Center  

Kevin Kroeger – Wood Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center 

Rachel Loehman – Alaska Science Center 

John Pearce – Alaska Science Center 

Mark Waldrop – Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center 

Peter Warwick – Geology, Energy, and Minerals Science Center 

Anne Wein – Western Geographic Science Center 

Sarah Zeigler – St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center 

Doug Beard – National Climate Adaptation Science Center 

Tamara Wilson 
Acting Assistant Regional Administrator, Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center 

Research Geographer, Western Geographic Science Center 

Doug Beard 
Director, National Climate Adaptation Science Center