Geological criteria and possible sites

GeoLaB is currently in the planning and exploration phase. This also includes the search for a suitable location where the underground laboratory can be set up. Scientific and socio-economic criteria play a role here.

The target rock is the crystalline bedrock in the Black Forest or Odenwald. This rock corresponds to the rocks in the deep Upper Rhine Graben, which contain the greatest geothermal reservoirs - and are also a source of domestic raw materials such as lithium for the energy transition. But what is the crystalline basement?

The rocks of the basement are the oldest and therefore form the base of the rock strata. They are made up of many small crystals (granite, for example, is made up of feldspar, quartz and mica). Over the course of millions of years, other rocks, known as sedimentary rocks, have been deposited over this base.

In the Black Forest and Odenwald, the rock layers along the Upper Rhine Graben were lifted upwards and partially eroded away. This is why the crystalline rock comes to the surface over a large area and is more accessible to science for experiments.

In the Odenwald, the area around the Tromm is of scientific interest. The rock here is similar to the deep rock that can be used geothermally to provide heat, e.g. deep underground in the Upper Rhine Graben. The Tromm granite forms a relatively uniform body of rock here and is separated in the east by a fault.