Latest news with #SURF
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Underground lab opens doors for photography contest
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Professional and amateur photographers will have a chance to capture a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF). It's part of Interactions Global Physics Photowalk–a worldwide event where major particle physics laboratories open their doors to photographers. Blood drive breaks record for number of donations SURF'S main campus is nearly a mile underground. Scientists there conduct experiments to answer fundamental questions about the universe, from dark matter to nuclear astrophysics. The competition includes three phases: Phase 1: Neutrino Day – On July 12 in Lead, SD, photographers will capture and submit up to three images taken from the annual Neutrino Day festival. Phase 2: Underground Photowalk – Eight photographers selected get a guided underground tour to photograph SURF's science spaces. Phase 3: Global Physics Photowalk – The top three photos from both phases will advance to the global judging phase. The winning photographers from around the world will have their work featured in magazines CERN Courier and Symmetry. More information on how to register is available on the 2025 Physics Photowalk website. Bat tests positive for rabies at Great Plains Zoo Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
An underground lab in South Dakota could prove key in advancing the next generation of geothermal energy needed to power the digital age
The deepest laboratory in the United States provides a unique test bed for the study of enhanced geothermal systems. Dr. Chet Hopp, with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Lead, SD, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With a total depth of 8000 feet, the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) is a one-of-a-kind location for experiments that are pioneering new ways to harness heat stored deep inside the earth. SURF has hosted a series of geothermal initiatives over the last decade, the latest is the Center for Understanding Subsurface Signals and Permeability (CUSSP). The multi-institutional project, led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), could revolutionize the production of electricity by allowing the construction of geothermal power plants almost anywhere on the planet. As the digital age increases the demand for energy, these new Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) have the potential to help meet the nation's growing need for electricity. In the most basic sense, EGS technology involves cold water pumped into deep wells where it is heated by the Earth and returned to the surface as hot water or steam that will spin a turbine for the creation of electricity. Enhanced geothermal technology is the next frontier for energy deployment with the potential to power more than 65 million American homes and businesses. The tech sector is leading the way in developing EGS. In late 2023 tech giant Google, in partnership with geothermal startup Fervo Energy, announced the completion of the first enhanced geothermal energy power plant in the country. Like all fledgling technology, research is required to improve and advance its potential. EGS has challenges to overcome; for example, the underground fractures where heat is transferred to the fluid can become clogged. Over time, the water that is pumped into deep underground fractures can leave behind minerals that slow or stop the flow, in same way the water pipes in an old house can become mineralized and clogged. 'The big unknown is how long these reservoirs will last,' said Kevin Rosso, director of CUSSP. 'We are seeing successful EGS pilot projects all around the world right now that prove this technology works. But we don't know if these underground reservoirs will continue to produce heat effectively at the same rates for decades.' Rosso is a Battelle fellow and the associate director of the Physical Sciences Division for Geochemistry at PNNL. He says CUSSP aims to ensure that EGS power plants provide a return on investment. 'Whether or not these installations will be economical is still unproven territory at the moment. This is where CUSSP is out in front, working to answer these questions,' Rosso said. Searching for Signals in the Noise There are many variables to consider when working to keep enhanced geothermal systems from clogging up over time. The water chemistry, rock types, heat, pressure, and the rates of flow through underground fractures are some of the factors that can vary and change. The geothermal test bed, located on the 4100 level of SURF, is a place where many of these variables can be controlled and understood. 'That's one of the exciting things about this location. Here we have control over water temperature, water chemistry, and we know the rock types, and that's something that's never been done before,' Rosso said. Another challenge is the chemical reactions that lead to mineralization and clogging of fractures deep inside geothermal systems that normally occur miles underground–where they can't be seen. This is where remote sensing comes in. At SURF, scientists can employ a wide variety of sensing equipment in the test bed, from water and rock temperature and chemistry measurements to seismometers and electrical resistivity sensors, all of which help researchers better understand what is happening underground. 'We have multiple geophysical sensors collecting terabytes of data in real-time during these flow experiments,' Rosso said. 'The experiment allows us to learn what the signals look like that correspond to certain processes we see happening.' This ability to search for signals in the noise and corollate them with what's happening underground at SURF allows CUSSP scientists to build a better understanding of the complex processes that govern geothermal systems—and build better models that can be used across multiple geothermal extraction sites. 'Developing the ability to understand the chemistry remotely with geophysical signals is very exciting, and also very challenging,' said Jeff Burghardt, an Earth Scientist at PNNL who is working on parallel geothermal research at SURF. 'It's sort of a moonshot idea at this point, but I think we have a plausible path forward to being able to do it, and that would be a game changer.' A multidisciplinary collaboration that is building the next generation STEM workforce leaders in America The complexity of these problems requires large teams with a range of skills. CUSSP includes a collaboration of 40 researchers assisted by many undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students. This means geochemists and geophysicists are rubbing shoulders with mechanical engineers and computational scientists, all who are working together to achieve the same goals. 'It's really exciting to see multiple disciplines coming together, rallying around a really focused problem,' said Rosso. One of the co-principal investigators on CUSSP is Alexis Navarre-Sitchler, a geochemist and professor in the geology and geological engineering department at Colorado School of Mines. Navarre-Sitchler shares Rosso's excitement. 'This is the science that is taking us into the future,' Navarre-Sitchler said. 'This effort to lay the scientific groundwork and to invest in the fundamental research needed to develop geothermal in efficient and responsible ways will ensure longevity of these projects in the future. It's a very fulfilling project to be involved in.' Rosso notes the mix of leading researchers, postdocs, and students who find this work fulfilling are also those who will continue to push the field of geothermal energy forward in the coming decades. 'You know, CUSSP is an engine for the next generation of leaders who will be calling the shots for enhanced geothermal systems. I'm particularly excited about just seeing the students working on this project, many of them will make their careers here. And at the same time the nation will get a workforce of experts to help lead the country forward in geothermal energy.' The work at SURF also complements investments at other DOE geothermal facilities like the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) in Utah. SURF is one of 16 deep underground laboratories around the world. Other labs in countries like China, Canada, Russia, Italy, and the United Kingdom are all competing for similar advancements in underground science. Attachment Dr. Chet Hopp, with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory CONTACT: Mike Ray Sanford Underground Research Facility 605.571.2314 cray@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lakota artist smudges the former gold mine inside the Black Hills
When Lakota artist Marty Two Bulls Jr. looks at the Black Hills of South Dakota, he doesn't just see its natural beauty. He also sees a scar cut deep into the heart of the universe. The mountain range is central to the origin story of several tribal nations, including his, and it has become an international symbol of the ongoing struggle for Indigenous land rights and the destruction of sacred sites. To the Lakota, Mount Rushmore is the most visible scar on the mountains. The former gold mine beneath is another, and that's what motivated Two Bulls to use his performance art to cleanse it. 'You hear 'land back', and it means a lot of different things to different people,' he said, referring to the Indigenous-led movement to restore tribal self-determination through ownership and stewardship of their homelands. 'It's been interesting trying to reframe some of these conversations about stewardship and land rights and treaties.' When the green pines on top meet the blue sky above, it creates the perception of a black outline, which is why the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people call it 'He Sapa', which means 'black ridge.' To them, it is where their creation began. But for generations, this sacred place was mined and stripped of gold, leaving lasting marks. Today, the former Homestake Gold Mine, a 300-mile (480-kilometer) tunnel system carved inside the mountains, houses the Sanford Underground Research Facility, where scientists study particle physics and dark matter. The deep mine shafts encased in granite are ideal for research into the secrets of the stars. As an artist in residence at SURF last year, Two Bulls felt a connection to its depths but a tremendous sense of loss when he ventured into the mine. 'I was bearing witness to the desecration that Homestake did every day. It was heartbreaking,' he said. And it left him wondering: 'How do you recover from a desecration or a crime?' Two Bulls also respected the work being conducted by some of the world's top minds inside the Black Hills, and he wanted to find a way to show them that this place was important long before its value was measured in gold or scientific research. He decided the best solution was also the simplest: smudge. Smudging is the act of cleansing, spiritually and physically, by burning plants like sage, cedar or sweetgrass and enveloping one's self or a space in the smoke. It has been a common practice across Indian Country for generations. Last week, using sage donated by Native people from as close as the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and as far away as the West Coast, Two Bulls burned several bundles, each representing the prayers of the community that donated it. For an hour, he burned the bundles in a small stove at the entrance to the former mine, fanning the flames with eagle feathers to smudge the place that his people revere as the center of the cosmos. Sensors in the mine nearly a mile below ground detected the smoke, a spokesperson for SURF said. 'To see how that was put together, that floored me,' said Rylan Sprague, a botanist and member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe who chairs SURF's cultural advisory committee. 'Leave it to an artist to take something that seems so regular and turn it into something totally different.' Two Bulls said Western science often overlooks or misunderstands Indigenous ways of thinking about the world and our origins, and that he wants his art project, called Azilya — the Lakota word for smudging — to be a way for the two to meet. An exhibition of his art from his time at SURF exploring that concept is currently on display at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Several researchers and members of SURF's staff watched Two Bulls smudge the mine. Sprague said he could see from the looks on their faces that the SURF employees in attendance understood the reverence Two Bulls and his community have for the place where they work. The room was largely quiet as Two Bulls sent smoke and prayers a mile beneath the earth's surface. 'It's not a site that I think they think about as a sacred site. It's a work site,' Two Bulls said. 'I hope that that happens. That's my intention.'
The Independent
05-04-2025
- General
- The Independent
Lakota artist smudges the former gold mine inside the Black Hills
When Lakota artist Marty Two Bulls Jr. looks at the Black Hills of South Dakota, he doesn't just see its natural beauty. He also sees a scar cut deep into the heart of the universe. The mountain range is central to the origin story of several tribal nations, including his, and it has become an international symbol of the ongoing struggle for Indigenous land rights and the destruction of sacred sites. To the Lakota, Mount Rushmore is the most visible scar on the mountains. The former gold mine beneath is another, and that's what motivated Two Bulls to use his performance art to cleanse it. 'You hear 'land back', and it means a lot of different things to different people,' he said, referring to the Indigenous-led movement to restore tribal self-determination through ownership and stewardship of their homelands. 'It's been interesting trying to reframe some of these conversations about stewardship and land rights and treaties.' When the green pines on top meet the blue sky above, it creates the perception of a black outline, which is why the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people call it 'He Sapa', which means 'black ridge.' To them, it is where their creation began. But for generations, this sacred place was mined and stripped of gold, leaving lasting marks. Today, the former Homestake Gold Mine, a 300-mile (480-kilometer) tunnel system carved inside the mountains, houses the Sanford Underground Research Facility, where scientists study particle physics and dark matter. The deep mine shafts encased in granite are ideal for research into the secrets of the stars. As an artist in residence at SURF last year, Two Bulls felt a connection to its depths but a tremendous sense of loss when he ventured into the mine. 'I was bearing witness to the desecration that Homestake did every day. It was heartbreaking,' he said. And it left him wondering: 'How do you recover from a desecration or a crime?' Two Bulls also respected the work being conducted by some of the world's top minds inside the Black Hills, and he wanted to find a way to show them that this place was important long before its value was measured in gold or scientific research. He decided the best solution was also the simplest: smudge. Smudging is the act of cleansing, spiritually and physically, by burning plants like sage, cedar or sweetgrass and enveloping one's self or a space in the smoke. It has been a common practice across Indian Country for generations. Last week, using sage donated by Native people from as close as the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and as far away as the West Coast, Two Bulls burned several bundles, each representing the prayers of the community that donated it. For an hour, he burned the bundles in a small stove at the entrance to the former mine, fanning the flames with eagle feathers to smudge the place that his people revere as the center of the cosmos. Sensors in the mine nearly a mile below ground detected the smoke, a spokesperson for SURF said. 'To see how that was put together, that floored me,' said Rylan Sprague, a botanist and member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe who chairs SURF's cultural advisory committee. 'Leave it to an artist to take something that seems so regular and turn it into something totally different.' Two Bulls said Western science often overlooks or misunderstands Indigenous ways of thinking about the world and our origins, and that he wants his art project, called Azilya — the Lakota word for smudging — to be a way for the two to meet. An exhibition of his art from his time at SURF exploring that concept is currently on display at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Several researchers and members of SURF's staff watched Two Bulls smudge the mine. Sprague said he could see from the looks on their faces that the SURF employees in attendance understood the reverence Two Bulls and his community have for the place where they work. The room was largely quiet as Two Bulls sent smoke and prayers a mile beneath the earth's surface. 'It's not a site that I think they think about as a sacred site. It's a work site,' Two Bulls said. 'I hope that that happens. That's my intention.'
Associated Press
05-04-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Lakota artist smudges the former gold mine inside the Black Hills
When Lakota artist Marty Two Bulls Jr. looks at the Black Hills of South Dakota, he doesn't just see its natural beauty. He also sees a scar cut deep into the heart of the universe. The mountain range is central to the origin story of several tribal nations, including his, and it has become an international symbol of the ongoing struggle for Indigenous land rights and the destruction of sacred sites. To the Lakota, Mount Rushmore is the most visible scar on the mountains. The former gold mine beneath is another, and that's what motivated Two Bulls to use his performance art to cleanse it. 'You hear 'land back', and it means a lot of different things to different people,' he said, referring to the Indigenous-led movement to restore tribal self-determination through ownership and stewardship of their homelands. 'It's been interesting trying to reframe some of these conversations about stewardship and land rights and treaties.' When the green pines on top meet the blue sky above, it creates the perception of a black outline, which is why the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people call it 'He Sapa', which means 'black ridge.' To them, it is where their creation began. But for generations, this sacred place was mined and stripped of gold, leaving lasting marks. Today, the former Homestake Gold Mine, a 300-mile (480-kilometer) tunnel system carved inside the mountains, houses the Sanford Underground Research Facility, where scientists study particle physics and dark matter. The deep mine shafts encased in granite are ideal for research into the secrets of the stars. As an artist in residence at SURF last year, Two Bulls felt a connection to its depths but a tremendous sense of loss when he ventured into the mine. 'I was bearing witness to the desecration that Homestake did every day. It was heartbreaking,' he said. And it left him wondering: 'How do you recover from a desecration or a crime?' Two Bulls also respected the work being conducted by some of the world's top minds inside the Black Hills, and he wanted to find a way to show them that this place was important long before its value was measured in gold or scientific research. He decided the best solution was also the simplest: smudge. Smudging is the act of cleansing, spiritually and physically, by burning plants like sage, cedar or sweetgrass and enveloping one's self or a space in the smoke. It has been a common practice across Indian Country for generations. Last week, using sage donated by Native people from as close as the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and as far away as the West Coast, Two Bulls burned several bundles, each representing the prayers of the community that donated it. For an hour, he burned the bundles in a small stove at the entrance to the former mine, fanning the flames with eagle feathers to smudge the place that his people revere as the center of the cosmos. Sensors in the mine nearly a mile below ground detected the smoke, a spokesperson for SURF said. 'To see how that was put together, that floored me,' said Rylan Sprague, a botanist and member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe who chairs SURF's cultural advisory committee. 'Leave it to an artist to take something that seems so regular and turn it into something totally different.' Two Bulls said Western science often overlooks or misunderstands Indigenous ways of thinking about the world and our origins, and that he wants his art project, called Azilya — the Lakota word for smudging — to be a way for the two to meet. An exhibition of his art from his time at SURF exploring that concept is currently on display at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Several researchers and members of SURF's staff watched Two Bulls smudge the mine. Sprague said he could see from the looks on their faces that the SURF employees in attendance understood the reverence Two Bulls and his community have for the place where they work. The room was largely quiet as Two Bulls sent smoke and prayers a mile beneath the earth's surface. 'It's not a site that I think they think about as a sacred site. It's a work site,' Two Bulls said. 'I hope that that happens. That's my intention.'
