Consequences of underground engineering is a theme that integrates the projects carried out within the department in the DeepNL programme of the Dutch Research Council (NWO). This programme has been initiated as a structural and long-term research programme into the gas-extraction related problems in Groningen. The aim is to improve the fundamental understanding of the dynamics of the deep subsurface under the influence of human interventions.
TU Delft is leading five DeepNL research projects including modelling the deep subsurface, better prediction of potential earthquakes and geological storage of CO2 to minimise induced seismicity. The departments of Geoscience & Engineering and Geoscience & Remote Sensing together with the University of Utrecht are currently involved in the 5 projects with a total of 15 PhD and postdoc positions.
The theme is a prominent example of the integration of depth-scales, from the near surface to the deep underground. In the future this theme will be expanded to include the impact of underground activities at the surface, such as subsidence and possible reduction in sub-surface ecosystem services. The theme is currently led by five Principle Investigators.
