Why AI?
AI and ML, combined with physics‑informed models and curated geoscience data, are revolutionizing Earth science application for renewable energy exploration. These approaches enable faster, more accurate insights into the subsurface conditions and processes. This helps to identify and manage critical mineral resources, optimize renewable energy systems, monitor environmental impact, and make decisions to safeguard our communities and our planet.
Why Earth Science?
Earth science sits at the center of today's most urgent challenges: enabling low‑carbon energy systems, protecting water resources, securing critical minerals, and understanding our changing climate. By bringing together geoscientists, engineers, data scientists, and decision makers, this workshop focuses on how AI can deepen our understanding of the subsurface and support practical, field‑ready industrial solutions.
Why Santa Fe?
Historic Santa Fe, New Mexico sits at the crossroads of science, technology, and culture - it is home to world-class national laboratories, universities, and a thriving innovation ecosystem. This workshop unites AI and Earth Science Experts to accelerate projects which protect communities, manage resources, and advance sustainable solutions.
Over two days, participants will engage in keynotes, technical sessions, hands-on exercises, and collaborative discussion forums designed for researchers, practitioners, startups, and policymakers building the next generation of physics-informed AI tools.
At a Glance
- Dates
- March 23 – 24, 2026
- Location
- Santa Fe Community Convention Center, 201 W Marcy St, Santa Fe, NM 87501
- Registration Fee
- $150.00
- Audience
- Researchers, industry leaders,practitioners, startups, regulators
Workshop Themes
We welcome contributions showing how AI, machine learning, and high-performance computing can drive sustainable resource use, innovation, and environmental stewardship.
Physics-informed AI and hybrid modeling
Geothermal resource development
Waste management and subsurface storage
Critical minerals and rare earth exploration
Hydrogen reservoirs and underground energy storage
Groundwater quality and environmental remediation
Induced seismicity forecasting
Remote sensing and spatiotemporal analysis
Program Preview
AI Foundations for Earth Sciences
9:00 – 9:45 AM
Introduction & Welcoming Notes: The Future of AI-Enabled Earth Insights
State-of-the-art methods that blend physics, data, and machine learning for subsurface intelligence.
10:00 – 11:00 AM
Envitrace AI Intro to Basics
TBD
11:00 – 11:15 AM
Break
11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
AI Foundation Models for Complex Tectonic Applications
TBD
12:15 – 1:45 PM
Lunch
1:45 – 2:30 PM
The Transparent Earth: A Multimodal Foundation Model for the Earth's Subsurface
Advanced approaches to multimodal AI for subsurface characterization and understanding.
2:30 – 3:00 PM
Earthquake Dynamics from Graph Neural Networks
Leveraging graph neural networks to understand and predict seismic behavior.
3:00 – 3:15 PM
Break
3:15 – 4:00 PM
Talk: TBD
TBD
4:00 – 5:00 PM
Panel of Speakers
Expert panel discussion on AI applications in earth sciences.
5:00 – 6:30 PM
Offsite Reception
Meet fellow practitioners, researchers, and sponsors while enjoying refreshments.
Applied AI for Subsurface Operations
9:05 – 9:15 AM
Intro Day 2
Welcome and overview of Day 2 agenda.
9:15 – 10:00 AM
From Rule Curves to Rewards: Deep Reinforcement Learning for Reservoir Management in Water-Stressed Systems
Advanced reinforcement learning techniques for optimizing water resource management.
10:00 – 10:45 AM
Harnessing AI and ML to Advance Water Management
TBD
10:45 – 11:00 AM
Break
11:00 – 11:30 AM
Anatomy of a Seismic Time Series: Information, Prediction, and Limits on Learning
Understanding the structure and predictability of seismic data using AI.
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Solving Probabilistic Inverse Problems with Generative AI
Novel approaches using generative AI for inverse problem solutions.
12:15 – 1:45 PM
Lunch
1:45 – 2:00 PM
Solving Inverse Problems with Machine Learning for Real-Time Monitoring of Subsurface Plumes
Real-time ML approaches for tracking subsurface contamination.
2:00 – 2:30 PM
Trusting AI Models for Contaminant Plume Prediction
Developing trustworthy and interpretable AI for environmental monitoring.
2:30 – 3:00 PM
Artificial Intelligence for Geophysical Subsurface Modeling: Applications to Carbon Sequestration
AI-driven approaches to modeling subsurface dynamics for carbon management.
3:00 – 3:15 PM
Break
3:15 – 3:45 PM
TBD
TBD
3:45 – 4:15 PM
Single-Station Earthquake Early Warning System Using Machine Learning
Real-time earthquake detection and early warning using advanced ML techniques.
4:00 – 5:00 PM
Closing Roundtable
Collaborative discussion on the future of AI in earth sciences, workforce development, and open tooling.
Call for Abstracts
We invite short abstracts (300 words max) highlighting novel AI methods, open datasets, reproducible workflows, and impact-driven applications in earth sciences. Abstracts will shape oral presentations, lightning talks, and posters across both days of the workshop. We encourage submissions that advance understanding, foster collaboration, and promote open science principles.
- •Include title, authors, affiliations, and a primary contact email.
- •Indicate preferred presentation format (oral, lightning, or poster).
- •Note any data-sharing or open-source resources associated with your work.
Submission Checklist
- Contact Information
- Primary author name, email, and institutional affiliation.
- Co-authors
- Names, emails, and affiliations for all contributing authors.
- Abstract Body
- Up to 300 words describing the challenge, methods, data, and outcomes.
- Keywords
- Choose 3–5 keywords to help us organize tracks and reviewers.
Logistics & Travel
Santa Fe is easily accessible via Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) with direct shuttle service to downtown. Details will be shared with confirmed attendees.
Complimentary Wi-Fi and exhibition space will be available throughout the venue. Coffee and light refreshments are provided on both days, including a Monday evening networking cocktail hour.
Key Dates
- Abstract Submission Deadline: March 09, 2026
- Notification of Acceptance: March 12, 2026
- Final Program Release: March 16, 2026
- Registration Deadline: March 16, 2026