The ISC Experiment: Deep Geothermal Energy and Induced Earthquakes

The “In-situ Stimulation and Circulation (ISC)” experiment, which is unique worldwide, is approaching its hot – or rather wet – phase. In December 2016, up to 1 m3 of water will be pumped into the crystalline rock under high pressure at the Grimsel rock laboratory by Nagra 450 meters below the surface of the earth, and the resulting changes will be accurately measured and analyzed in real time. Dr. Florian Amann and his interdisciplinary team want to find out how the rock permeability required for functioning deep thermal energy can be created without triggering noticeable and potentially damaging earthquakes. The experiment is being run by the Swiss Competence Center for the Supply of Electricity (SCCER-SoE).

The Swiss Seismological Service (SED) operates a number of earthquake monitoring stations in the Grimsel region, and supports the ISC experiment with seismic monitoring, the data analysis, and the interpretation of the results.