2001-2004 DG-LAB (EU)

The Deep Geodynamic Laboratory – Gulf of Corinth Project (2001-2004)

by . – 21 January 2009

Coordination: F. Cornet

The DGLab project is part of a set of projects clustered under the generic name “Corinth Rift Laboratory”, some of them being funded by the European Commission (DGLab, CORSEIS, 3F-Corinth, AEGIS, ASSEM ) some other ones by national funds (PLOUTON for Greece, GDRCorinth for France, GRECO for Germany). In particular, DGLab has contributed to the development of the regional CRL seismic network, while CORSEIS and the French (CNRS supported) GDR-Corinth provided the necessary funds for the maintenance of this network. The drilling operation for the 1000 m deep well AIG10 was mostly funded through DGLab, but received significant support from the International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP) and some from 3F-Corinth.The core analysis, borehole logging and Vertical Seismic Profiles, as well as the hydraulic reconnaissance have been co-funded by DGLab, 3F-Corinth and the German ( DFG supported) GRECO project.

Objective: This project concerns the development of a European seismic hazard research facility articulated around an in site laboratory. It includes deep boreholes intersecting active faults and designed for obtaining data on the physics of earthquakes and on fault mechanisms as well as on seismic wave propagation in order to improve present earthquake hazards mitigation procedures. Particular emphasis will be placed on documenting the role of fluids on fault behaviour and the role of earthquake faulting on regional hydrogeology. The site is located in the Gulf of Corinth which is presently the fastest opening continental rift in the world with an opening rate of the order of 1.5 cm per year and the tilting and uplifting of its southern shore at a rate which reaches locally 1 mm/y.

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