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Underground Science with kISMET

by Maryann Villavert

Energy Geosciences Division Energy Resources Program Domain Geochemistry Department Geologic Carbon Sequestration Program Geothermal Systems Hydrogeology Department

Photo-researchers-underground

Berkeley Lab geologists Patrick Dobson (left) and Curt Oldenburg (right) along with Bill Roggenthen (center) of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology at the kISMET site in the Sanford Underground Research Facility prior to drilling. (Photo courtesy Curt Oldenburg)

Our EESA researchers, with participation by multiple national labs, universities and industry partners throughout the U.S., are studying rock fracturing to accelerate advances in energy production and waste storage technologies about a mile beneath the Earth’s surface at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota. The Permeability (k) and Induced Seismicity Management for Energy Technologies (kISMET) project is led by Berkeley Lab’s EESA team. kISMET, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Subsurface Technology and Engineering Research, Development and Demonstration (SubTER Crosscut) focuses on investigating stress measurement and fracture stimulation with borehole monitoring to characterize relations between stress, induced fractures, and rock fabric.

Read more about their work recently featured in, “Underground Science: Berkeley Lab Digs Deep For Clean Energy Solutions” from the Berkeley Lab News Center (October 19, 2016).