The Dellen Impact Crater - A geoscientific deep rock laboratory (DRL)

The Dellen drilling project aims to establish a comprehensive bedrock characterization approach in form of a subsurface rock laboratory in a well studied c. 90 Ma old impact crater. The rock laboratory will comprise a rock volume which can be studied at depth from one drillhole or, for volumetric information, by experiments between three or more surrounding boreholes, integrating different scientific approaches from disciplines like geo-mechanics, geochemistry, hydrogeology, structural geology, petrology and geophysics. A special emphasis in the project's scientific investigations has been put on the effects of coupled processes. Experiments in the deep boreholes and in the laboratory are designed with the help of all involved scientific disciplines resulting, e. g., in numerical inversion models for coupled geological, geophysical and geochemical processes with improved and verified reliability. The comprehensive scientific programme will form a platform for quantitative characterization of the subsurface environments in terms of thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, chemical, biological and geological processes and interactions among them and, thus, will favour an integrated and objective-oriented view on the subsurface which benefits Earth sciences, engineering and societal planning. The development of the Dellen research platform into a long-term research facility provides the scientific community with a tool for sustainable subsurface basic research as well as applied, engineering-oriented research with particular importance for post-graduate education for future generations. This integrated drilling and research facility is suggested to be located at the Dellen site because the (young) meteorite impact generated a wide range of physical bedrock property changes with depth in an already complex geological setting where multiple tectonothermal processes have affected the ancient bedrock of the Baltic Shield. Furthermore, the project is in the favour of local support and the location at Dellen is covered by existing high quality geoscientific data and provides a well established infrastructure.

Principal investigators: Lanru Jing, Herbert Henkel & Anders Wörman, Royal Academy of Technology (KTH).