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3D Characterization of Saline Underground Formations with Investigative Geophysical Methods
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, The Third Sustainable Earth Sciences Conference and Exhibition, Oct 2015, Volume 2015, p.1 - 5
Abstract
The utilisation of the earths’ ground as one of the fundamental resources is one of the mankinds responsibility to secure sustainable conditions for human life on earth. There is an increasing demand for finding new natural resources as well as developing large natural underground capacities for the sustainable storage of these resources. Underground storage capacities may be furthermore used for other storage purposes: radioactive waste, carbon dioxide (CO2), water and energy (e.g. hydrothermal, gravitational).
For a more optimized utilization of saline formations as a location for new storage capacities new cavern structures need to be established in areas closer to lateral boundaries of the salt formation. Thus, the success of the development of new storage capacities highly depends on the quantity and quality of detailed structural information and the generation of a most realistic geological model.
New geophysical investigation technologies allow an integrated exploration of the inside and outside of complex saline formations such as salt domes. Salt formations are a favourable environment for numerous storage facilities. Two geophysical investigation technologies will be presented that appear to be significantly competent for the assessment of saline underground formations: 3D seismic reflection method, and 3D borehole ground penetrating radar (GPR) technique.