| EarthLab is an initiative to build a laboratory in the deep subsurface to study the biological, geomechanical, hydrological, and geochemical processes that modify Earth from its surface to the limit of habitable depths. The EarthLab facility will consist of multiple specialty laboratories for specific subterranean experiments as well as multiple observatories for monitoring active processes and collecting critical data. These laboratories and observatories will expand our knowledge of Earth’s subsurface by permitting direct studies from within. An important part of EarthLab’s plan is to support a very active program to educate and train future generations of scientists and teachers from pre-college to postgraduate, focusing on underrepresented groups.
The EarthLab concept and goals are a result of many discussions between the physics and Earth science communities, including those held at a joint conference, “Neutrinos and Subterranean Science 2002,” or NeSS 2002, held in Washington, D.C. in September, 2002. An outcome of the discussions is that EarthLab’s activities will be closely linked and integrated with those of the physics community and with other regional academic centers to take full advantage of shared technological infrastructure, research expertise, and education and outreach capabilities.
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