Geology
The Jura mountains were formed between 3 and 12 million years ago and comprise the Plateaujura (Freiberg and France), the Tafeljura (e.g. the Ajoie region) and the Faltenjura (Jura folds). The Mont Terri rock laboratory is situated in the Faltenjura. The rock of the Jura mountains consists of hard limestone and dolomites and of fairly soft marls and argillaceous rock. All these rocks were formed in marine environments of different depths and coastal proximity.
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.
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.
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.).