The Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (IGG), is an institute of National Research Council of Italy (CNR), and it is devoted to the interdisciplinary study of the Geosciences, including application-oriented approaches.

IGG deals with the conservation, management and sustainable use of geological and natural resources, with the estimate, monitoring and reduction of geological and environmental hazards and with the estimate and mitigation of the risks induced by global change. The Institute is active in three main areas: geodynamics (plate tectonics, geological processes and systems both at depth and at the Earth surface, terrestrial and planetary geology and geochemistry, dynamics of the continental crust, geological materials, carbon cycle), underground water resources (geothermal energy, aquifers, hydrogeology, isotope hydrology, hydrological cycle, pollution) and geochronology and paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions on a wide spectrum of time scales.

Research activities include the measurement, monitoring, understanding, interpretation and modelling of geological, geodynamical and geochemical processes in the Earth System; the study of the global carbon cycle and of geosphere-biosphere interactions at multiple spatial and temporal scales; geochronology and paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions; the analysis and use of geomaterials for the cultural heritage and for human health; planetary geology and geochemistry; the study, exploration and use of geothermal energy sources; the analysis and mitigation of geological and environmental hazards; the characterization of the water cycle and water resources, with specific focus on aquifers; the estimate and mitigation of global change impacts.

IGG conducts field monitoring and measurement activities, laboratory analyses (chemical and geochemical approaches, isotopic analysis, geochronology, properties of rocks and minerals, experimental tectonics), data analysis and interpretation, development and implementation of data bases, numerical simulations. The Institute has about thirty laboratories, some of which are of worldwide excellence. IGG is involved in education programmes (Master and Doctorate Theses, organization of post-doc level training courses) and in outreach and dissemination activities.

The Institute includes 95 employees, about 70 research associates and several post-docs and graduate students.