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Current
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  Activities
  
  Current information about the experiments in the Mont Terri rock laboratory
Goals
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  Issues
  
  The key question is: can radioactive waste be stored safely in Opalinus Clay? The Mont Terri rock laboratory is engaged solely in research. No deep geological disposal will be built at Mont Terri.
  
  Links
  
  Useful links and important partners for the project
  
  Task
  
  What is the purpose of a rock laboratory? Why is research being carried out here into the Opalinus Clay? Who is taking part in the research? What are the research objectives?
  
  Core Messages
  
  22 partners from Europe, Japan, Canada, United Kingdom, the USA and Switzerland are carrying out research at the Mont Terri rock laboratory.
Mont Terri Project
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  Organisation of the Mont Terri Project
  
  The Mont Terri Project is an international research project for the hydrogeological, geochemical and geotechnical characterisation of a clay formation (Opalinus Clay).
  
  History of the Project
  
  We give here the history of the project from the mid-1990s onwards with a summary of the milestones.
  
  Contracts
  
  As the representative of the federal government, swisstopo concluded contracts with the project partners and with the Canton of Jura, providing a legal basis for the activities.
  
  Funding
  
  The federal government represented by swisstopo funds the operation of the rock laboratory (no third party is involved). The participating partners fund the research programme.
Rock laboratory
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  Where is the rock laboratory located?
  
  The Mont Terri rock laboratory is situated to the north of St-Ursanne in the canton of Jura, around 300 m underground. It is accessed via the safety gallery of the Mont Terri motorway tunnel.
  
  Interior view
  
  The rock laboratory comprises 1200 m of galleries and niches. The horse-shoe shaped galleries are 4 to 5 m high and well-lit.
  
  Operation of the rock laboratory
  
  swisstopo (which includes Swiss Geological Survey) is responsible for the independent, smooth, and safe operation of the rock laboratory. The site belongs to the canton of Jura.
Geology
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  Stratigraphy and facies
  
  The rock laboratory is situated in the Opalinus Clay rock formation, a marly argillaceous claystone with different proportions of sand and carbonates.
  
  3D geological model
  
  This short movie presents the new geological 3D-model of the Mont Terri area. Data from the lab (boreholes, mappings) are combined with regional geological data (maps, cross-sections, etc.).
  
  Geological structures
  
  The main tectonic element in the investigation area is the Mont Terri anticline. It is the northernmost anticline of the folded Jura.
  
  Properties and characteristic values
  
  Opalinus Clay exhibits properties conducive to the deep geological storage of radioactive waste. The advantages clearly outweigh any disadvantages.
Experiments
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  Development of methods
  
  One group of experiments comprises the development of new research and measurement methods, particularly adapted to the Opalinus Clay.
  
  The most important experiments
  
  Since 1996, experiments have been carried out in the Mont Terri rock laboratory. The expansion of the laboratory in 2018/2019 allows us to carry out new experiments.
  
  Characterisation of Opalinus Clay
  
  Opalinus Clay is being investigated as a potential host rock for the storage of nuclear waste due to its specific characteristics.
  
  Experiment portfolio
  
  The Mont Terri rock laboratory is a generic laboratory. It is exclusively dedicated to research and will never be used as a storage site for radioactive waste.
  
  Demonstration experiments
  
  Demonstration experiments show the feasibility for a future deep geological repository for radioactive waste and the thermal-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) response of Opalinus Clay.
  
  FAQs and answers
  
  During the visits to the Mont Terri rock laboratory similar questions are often asked to the guides. Below the five most frequent questions are answered briefly.
Documentation
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  Scientific publications in technical journals
  
  Scientific publications in specialist journals
  
  Media Coverage
  
  Coverage in the press, on the radio and on TV
  
  Publications from swisstopo
  
  Scientific reports on tests at the Mont Terri laboratory
  
  Technical reports
  
  Scientific reports on tests at the Mont Terri laboratory
Visitor Centre
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  Welcome to the visitor centre
  
  Sign up to find out about the current status of research in our rock laboratory. We welcome groups of 10 or more visitors, from Monday to Saturday.
  
  Visitors feedback and photos
  
  Feedback from visitors about our rock laboratory and guided tours. Obtain a first impression and view our photo gallery.
  
  Registration
  
  Here you can register quickly and conveniently. We look forward to welcoming you!
  
  Travel information
  
  The location of our visitor centre is indicated on the map below, ideally situated 2 minutes away from St-Ursanne train station.

Can the rock laboratory be converted to deep geological disposal?

No. That is not possible. The rock laboratory is used only for research purposes. There can be no question of the disposal of radioactive waste here. That is part of the contractual arrangement with the Canton of Jura.

Contracts

What is researched in the rock laboratory?

Research is separated into individual experiments, differentiated according to the following types: Development of methodology, e.g. test performance and related analyses; Characterisation of Opalinus Clay, e.g. understanding the chemical and physical processes in the Opalinus Clay at the laboratory and investigating the relevant properties and Parameters; Demonstration experiments. Here, tests on a 1:1 scale can be carried out over a long period. Generally, the experiments in the rock laboratory provide a significant body of knowledge about the feasibility and safety of deep geological disposal.

Experiments

Why clay for a deep geological disposal facility?

Argillaceous rocks are suitable as a geological barrier for the long-term encapsulation of radioactive waste. The three most important characteristics are: Retention of radionuclides at the clay mineral surfaces, very low permeability (no transfer of radionuclides by flowing water), and the ability to self-sealing of cracks and fissures by swelling.

Properties of Opalinus clay

Is it possible to visit the rock laboratory?

Yes! Guided tours of the Mont Terri rock laboratory are organised throughout the year for groups of visitors. More information is available here: Tel. +41 32 461 40 53 / visit@mont-terri.ch

Welcome to the visitors center

The Mont Terri project

The picture shows the entrance to the rock laboratory with the flags of all patners at the door.

The Mont Terri Project is an international research project for the hydrogeological, geochemical and geotechnical characterisation of a clay formation (Opalinus Clay).

Task

25 years of research in Mont Terri!

We are celebrating 25 years of research in the underground laboratory! For this occasion, a commemorative publication describing the history of the project was written and is available as a download here:

Commemorative Publication

Electric vehicles charging points

Borne électrique CCV — We now have two charging points for electric vehicles. They are located at the entrance to the Visitors' Centre on the train station side and are available to visitors on request.

Welcome to the Mont Terri underground rock laboratory

ES Experiment — ES (Electrical and Seismic Signature of Opalinus Clay Subjected to Desiccation and Deformation) Experiment: vacuum-packed drill cores ready to be shipped to partners for analysis.

A brand new film for the Mont Terri Project 25th anniversary!

The visitor centre is open

Master Thesis in Augmented Reality (AR) in the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory with swisstopoEDU

Dreidimensionale Ansicht des Felslabors — swisstopoEDU offers various opportunities to complete a Master thesis. One of them concerns augmented reality applications in the Mont Terri rock laboratory. Contact rock laboratory: Martin Ziegler or Romain Nicol on +41 32 461 40 54.

Interested? We look forward to receiving your application! All the info here.

Topic suggestions for swisstopoEDU
PDF, 5 Pages, 254 KB

Scientists involved in the Mont Terri Project have published a paper in the prestigious journal Nature

Nature geoscience, August 2022

The EPFL Laboratory of Soil Mechanics (LMS) has joined the Mont Terri Project

We are pleased to welcome the LMS, as well as another EPFL laboratory, the Environmental Microbiology Laboratory (EML), to the Mont Terri Project. A new partnership named ETH/EPF will oversee the various laboratories of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Zürich and Lausanne, several of which are already involved in the project. These are the Department of Water Resources and Drinking Water (EAWAG) and the Nuclear Energy and Safety Research Division of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), as well as the Department of Earth Sciences at ETH.

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