The National Underground Science Laboratory (NUSL) is recommended by a national committee
to be located in the Homestake Mine (Science News:
http://www.cosmiverse.com/science03070101.html.)
A Conference on Underground
Science will be held from October 4 (mid-afternoon) to October 7 (mid-afternoon), 2001,
at Lead, South Dakota, as announced in http://mocha.phys.washington.edu/NUSL.
The earth science workshop*, in parallel with other physics sessions, will discuss both the
studies that can be conducted in the Homestake
Mine and the practical aspects of space and duration needed for the studies. One of the objectives of the earth science workshop is
to develop a
long-range plan for an underground research facility devoted to basic geoscience research,
over unprecedented spatial/temporal scales.
During this conference, we will visit the Homestake Mine, which has over
50 levels accessible by shafts and ramps to a depth of 8,000 ft. Topics
for discussion after the mine visit include:
(2) Flow and transport tests to evaluate the effects of heterogeneity on
in-flow and mine-water migration;
(3) Geological mapping, mineralogical characterization, and radon sampling to evaluate the
stratigraphic evolution, rock-water interaction, and radiation background;
(4) Geochemical, isotopic, and ecological investigations to evaluate ambient and altered
conditions at depths;
(5) Geophysical imaging and seismic monitoring in low-background, complex-geology settings;
(6) Rock mechanics and geo-technical engineering evaluation of large test
chambers, shaft extension, and drift excavation.
(b) Power supply and facility supports for sources and measurement network;
(c) Sampling frequency and measurement duration along multilevel drifts;
(d) Sensor installation requirements for long-term monitoring behind soon-to-be-sealed drifts;
(e) Long drifts recommended to be kept open for future development.
One outcome of the sessions is to reach a consensus about how to coordinate among the
earth science fields for the NUSL research, similar to the
endorsement reached by the nuclear science community. A technical subcommittee report,
accessible on the NUSL web site, describes the requirements of large underground chambers
needed for next-generation physics experiments. Additional information is available on
the proposal to convert the Homestake Mine
into the NUSL (submitted by the Consortium for Underground Science, CUS) and the Underground
Science report (developed by the Bahcall/Lesko Committee
on an Underground National Laboratory). The Underground Science report covers nuclear
physics, high-energy physics, astrophysics, earth sciences,
geo-microbiology, development of microelectronics
material with low cosmic-ray background, and monitoring of nuclear tests.
For each earth science testing, monitoring, sensing, and sampling activity planned
for the NUSL, a synopsis can be developed by participants before and during the workshop
for the scientific and technical requirements.
Each participant is encouraged to bring viewgraphs to aid discussions and to emphasize the
context, objective, general approach, scope, and estimated requirements for each activity
planned. Please indicate your interest in participating, forward any draft materials (one
page abstract, synopsis text, and/or three viewgraphs) likely to be discussed in the sessions
, and provide any suggestions on the organization of the earth science sessions to
jswang@lbl.gov.
* Please forward the workshop announcement to colleagues interested in underground research and notify us for logistic adjustment.
The Earth Science workshop organizing committee:
Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
(1) Multi-drift heater tests to study coupled thermal-hydrological-chemical-mechanical
processes;
After exchange of scientific ideas, each session will address the technical requirements of:
(a) Space and additional excavation needed for long-term test beds;
The technical aspect is crucial for determining additional maintenance and operation
needed for drift accessibility. These technical details determine the scope of the
long-range plan for earth science studies at NUSL.Edward J. Cording, University of Illinois
Charles Fairhurst, University of Minnesota
Misac N. Nabighian, Colorado School of Mines
Leon T. Silver, California Institute of Technology
James M. Tiedje, Michigan State University
Joseph S. Y. Wang, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Chair
Peter J. Wierenga, University of Arizona
Paul A. Witherspoon, University of California
MS 90-1116, Room 90-2108 | One Cyclotron Road | Berkeley, CA 94720
Tel. 510-486-6753 or -6995 | Fax. 510-486-5686 or -6115 | jswang@lbl.gov
J. S. Y. Wang (Joe) | Ph.D. - Physics | Ambient Testing Group Leader