
This former Homestake gold mine in the Black Hills of South Dakota is becoming a major underground research laboratory. Primarily focused on high energy physics, SURF is now also characterized by studies of underground life. The site accesses about ~170 km of mine workings, with a subset currently maintained and ventilated. Black Hills geology is extraordinarily complex, characterized by a core Precambrian granite, pegmatite, and metamorphic complex, rimmed by Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic sedimentary units.
ResearchAstrobiologists are participating in an underground drilling project aimed at detecting and characterizing microbial life in the subsurface. A new experiment was started near electrical and data service at the depth of 1,478 m. Here, In situ electrode-assisted cultivation of subsurface microbes is being conducted for the first time. The next phase of work at SURF will involve proposals to develop a distributed, kilometer-scale, 3D microbial observatory using select legacy holes from the surface to the 4850 level.
Related LinksSanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) - http://sanfordlab.org/