Starting in August 2024, low-level airplane flights will be conducted over parts of Nebraska, Kansas, and a small section of Iowa to gather geological data using airborne geophysical technology. The 15-month survey, weather and wildfire conditions permitting, will cover various counties in the three states, with flights based out of airports in Lincoln, Beatrice, and Manhattan. These flights may shift locations depending on flying conditions.

The survey aims to enhance understanding of the geology beneath the Midcontinent Rift and Elk Creek carbonatite, regions rich in critical minerals like niobium, essential for high-strength steel production in pipelines and structural applications.

Aircraft, including Cessna Grand Caravans and an Air Tractor, will fly low (around 300 feet) over survey areas, increasing altitude to 1,000 feet over populated regions. These planes will follow pre-planned paths to collect geophysical data using passive instruments that measure variations in Earth’s magnetic field and natural gamma radiation. No photography or video will be taken, and the data will be made public after processing.

The USGS has contracted Fugro, which has in turn subcontracted the data collection work to Xcalibur Multiphysics.