Einstein-Telescope in the Euregio-Meuse-Rhine – Preliminary engineering geological site characterization for siting and design

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, vol. 84

Abstract

Abstract Modern gravitational-waves astronomy is moving underground. Geological units act as noise-dampening covers to isolate highly sensitive gravitational-wave detectors from ambient noise disturbances, which poses challenges for the siting, planning, and construction of detectors. The current feasibility study for the Einstein Telescope (ET), the European third-generation gravitational-waves detector, aims to find the most suitable site for construction and operation from various perspectives. One potential site is the Euregio-Meuse-Rhine (EMR) area in the border region between the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. The Einstein Telescope is planned as a large-scale underground infrastructure with over 30 km of tunnels and various cavern constructions, approximately 250 m below the surface. This paper presents the preliminary results of the first site characterization phase for this site from an engineering geological perspective. The results show (1) complex geological conditions of siliciclastic and carbonate, brittle and hard Paleozoic (Frasnian to Westphalian) rocks beneath a cover of soft, partly unconsolidated Cretaceous and Cenozoic sediments, (2) the strong influence of several tectonic events, especially the thrust-and-fault belt of the Variscan Front and the opening of the Lower Rhine Graben, (3) variable and in places high hydraulic conductivities (10 − 5 m/s) and, (4) variable rock mechanical properties of potential host rock formations (e.g. Famennian and Namurian rocks). Finally, an engineering geological assessment of the suitability, challenges, and requirements for future work associated with the construction of the ET in the EMR region is presented.

Authors 17

1. Raphael Burchartz corresponding Aachen Chair of Engineering Geology & Hydrogeology Geological Institute

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

   Geological Institute, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

   Chair of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, RWTH Aachen, 52064, Aachen, Germany

2. Marius Waldvogel Aachen Geological Institute

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Geological Institute, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

   Geological Institute, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, 52062, Germany

3. Nils Chudalla Aachen Chair of Computational Geoscience and Reservoir Engineering

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair of Computational Geoscience and Reservoir Engineering, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

   Chair of Computational Geoscience and Reservoir Engineering, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, 52074, Germany

4. Peter Achtziger-Zupančič

   Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geotechnologies IEG

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems IEG, Aachen, Germany

   Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems IEG, Aachen, 52062, Germany

5. Helmut Wannenmacher
   Affiliation as printed

   Implenia Austria GmbH, Salzburg, Austria

6. Bjorn Vink

   National Institute for Subatomic Physics

   Affiliation as printed

   Nikhef, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

   Nikhef, Science Park 105, Amsterdam, 1098 XG , The Netherlands

7. Frank Linde

   National Institute for Subatomic Physics

   Affiliation as printed

   Nikhef, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

   Nikhef, Science Park 105, Amsterdam, 1098 XG , The Netherlands

8. Philippe Orban

   University of Liège

   Affiliation as printed

   Urban and Environmental Engineering, University of Liège, Liège 1, Belgium

   Urban and Environmental Engineering, University of Liège, Liège 1, 4000, Belgium

9. Yvonne Spychala Aachen Geological Institute

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Geological Institute, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

   Geological Institute, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, 52062, Germany

10. Pooya Hamdi Aachen Chair of Engineering Geology & Hydrogeology

    RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Chair of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

    Chair of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, RWTH Aachen, 52064, Aachen, Germany

11. Mohammadreza Jalali Aachen Chair of Engineering Geology & Hydrogeology

    RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Chair of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

    Chair of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, RWTH Aachen, 52064, Aachen, Germany

12. Frédéric Nguyen

    University of Liège

    Affiliation as printed

    Urban and Environmental Engineering, University of Liège, Liège 1, Belgium

    Urban and Environmental Engineering, University of Liège, Liège 1, 4000, Belgium

13. Raúl Fuentes Aachen Chair of Geotechnical Engineering Institute of Geomechanics and Underground Technology

    RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Chair of Geotechnical Engineering and Institute of Geomechanics and Underground Technology, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

    Chair of Geotechnical Engineering and Institute of Geomechanics and Underground Technology, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, 52074, Germany

14. Shahar Shani‐Kadmiel

    Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), De Bilt, Netherlands

15. Florian Wellmann Aachen Chair of Computational Geoscience and Reservoir Engineering

    Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geotechnologies IEG · RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Chair of Computational Geoscience and Reservoir Engineering, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

    Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems IEG, Aachen, Germany

    Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems IEG, Aachen, 52062, Germany

16. Peter A. Kukla Aachen Geological Institute

    RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Geological Institute, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

    Geological Institute, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, 52062, Germany

17. Florian Amann Aachen Chair of Engineering Geology & Hydrogeology

    Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geotechnologies IEG · RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Chair of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

    Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems IEG, Aachen, Germany

    Chair of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, RWTH Aachen, 52064, Aachen, Germany

    Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems IEG, Aachen, 52062, Germany