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  • Current
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      Events

      Up-to-date information on the Mont Terri Project

      Activities

      Current information about the experiments in the Mont Terri rock laboratory




  • Goals current page
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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? swisstopo runs the Mont...

      Core Messages

      19 partners from Europe, Japan, Canada, United Kingdom, the USA and Switzerland are carrying out research at the Mont Terri rock laboratory. The Mont Terri rock laboratory is a generic research...




  • 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 representative of the federal government, swisstopo has concluded contracts with the project partners and the Canton of Jura, thereby assuring a legal basis for the Mont Terri Project and the...

      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 700 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 Opalinus Clay Formation surrounding the rock laboratory...




  • 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. Opalinus Clay has an age of approximately 174...

      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. This is a dome-shaped fold that, due of the pressure of the Alps (Fernschub = distant push hypothesis), was pushed...

      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, such as, new excavation and drilling methods, extraction of...

      The most important experiments

      Experiments have been carried out at the Mont Terri rock laboratory since 1996: this page contains a list of some of the most important ones.

      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.

      Characterisation of Opalinus Clay

      Opalinus Clay is being investigated as a potential host rock for the storage of nuclear waste due to its very low hydraulic conductivity, self-sealing of open cracks and fissures, and excellent...

      New Experiments Gallery 2018

      The excavation gives space and opportunities for many new and exciting experiments.

      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. These experiments...

      Experiment portfolio

      The Mont Terri rock laboratory is a generic laboratory. It will never house a deep repository. The research focuses on the safe storage of radioactive waste and the technical feasibility of a deep...




  • 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

      Pictures 20 years jubilee

      Celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the Mont Terri project in the first half of the year. On 19 May, in front of 100 invited guests Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin underscores the importance...

      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 8 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!

      Other services of the visitor centre and activities

      Use our visitor’s centre for a meeting or an aperitif. Combine your visit to the rock laboratory with a visit to another attraction in the beautiful Jura Region.

      Travel information

      Here you can register quickly and conveniently. The location of our visitor centre is indicated on the map below. We look forward to welcoming you.




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Swiss Confederation
  • Federal Office for Energy, FOE
  • Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate, ENSI
  • Federal Roads Office
  • Federal Office of Topography, swisstopo
Canton of Jura
  • Département de l'Environnement et de l'Equipement: Service des ponts et chaussées
Mont Terri Project Partners
  • ANDRA: Agence nationale pour la gestion des déchets radioactifs (France)
  • BGR: Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (Deutschland)
  • CHEVRON: Chevron Energy Technology Company (US)
  • CRIEPI: Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (Japan)
  • U.S. DOE: Departement of Energy (US)
  • ENRESA: Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radiactivos (Espana)
  • ENSI: Eidgenössisches Nuklearsicherheitsinspektorat (Schweiz)
  • FANC: Federaal agentschap voor nucleaire controle (België)
  • GRS: Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbH (Deutschland)
  • HELMHOLTZ, Forschungzentren UFZ, GFZ, FZJ, HZPR und KIT (Deutschland)
  • IRSN: Institut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire (France)
  • JAEA: Japanese Atomic Energy Agency (Japan)
  • NAGRA: Nationale Genossenschaft für die Lagerung radioaktiver Abfälle (Schweiz)
  • NWMO: Nuclear Waste Managment Organization (Canada)
  • OBAYASHI: Obayashi Corporation (Japan)
  • RWM, Radioactive Waste Management (UK)
  • SCK.CEN: Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie (België)
  • SWISSTOPO, Bundesamt für Landestopographie (Schweiz)
  • TOTAL, Total S. A. (France)

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Current

  • Events
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Goals

  • Issues
  • Task
  • Core Messages
  • Links

Mont Terri Project

  • Organisation
  • Contracts
  • Funding
  • History of the Project

Rock laboratory

  • Location
  • Interior view
  • Operation

Geology

  • Stratigraphy and facies
  • Geological structures
  • Properties and characteristic values
  • 3D geological model

Experiments

  • Development of methods
  • Characterisation of Opalinus Clay
  • Demonstration experiments
  • The most important experiments
  • New Experiments Gallery 2018
  • Experiment portfolio
  • FAQs and answers

Documentation

  • Publications in technical journals
  • Publications from swisstopo
  • Technical reports
  • Media Coverage
  • Pictures of the jubilee

Visitor Centre

  • Welcome to the visitor centre
  • Registration
  • Travel information
  • Feedback and photos
  • Other services and activities

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