Homestake Gold Mine in Dakota Black Hills selected as next national laboratory

William Atkins
Wednesday, 11 July 2007 07:17

Science - Energy

Once completed, the NSF’s new lab called the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL) will become the world’s deepest laboratory—at 74,000 feet (22,560 meters), or about 14 miles into the Earth’s interior.

Scientists will perform experiments involving astrophysics, earth science, physics, and geomicrobiology (the study of microbes in geochemical and geological processes). One of its primary purpose will be for scientists to conduct exotic experiments on such subject matter as dark matter (undetected mass in the universe) and neutrinos (a stable, neutral elementary particle that consists of three types, which are associated with electron, muon, and tau particles).

The underground environment was a prime requirement for the laboratory because cosmic rays, deterrents to such experiments, cannot penetrate to this depth inside the Earth’s interior.

The Homestake Mine is located near Lead, South Dakota, in the northern part of the Black Hills. [Gold within the]  mine was discovered in 1876. Ore began to be taken out of the mine in 1878. Through 1965, the mine produced about 6 million ounces of silver and 28 million ounces of gold.  At one time, it was the largest and deepest mine in the Western Hemisphere. It was closed in 2002.

However, Homestake is not a stranger to scientific experiments. It hosted the Davis Experiment (sometimes called the Homestake Experiment) in the 1960s, the first experiment to observe solar neutrinos.

If the U.S. Congress and the President approves the project, the construction of the DUSEL is scheduled to begin in 2010.