Borehole in Riniken provides an insight into the recent geological past – and into the future


Drilling work starts in Riniken this week. The data obtained from the borehole will help to understand the evolution of the landscape over the last million years.

The objective of the Quaternary boreholes is to investigate and analyse sediments from the Quaternary – the most recent geological time period. The boreholes are drilled at locations where the most information is expected on past erosion processes.

Drilling in Riniken will be carried out only during the day. The noise emissions from the drillsite are comparable with those from farming and forestry activities. The work will be completed within a few days when the borehole has reached a depth of several dozen metres.

The results from the Quaternary boreholes allow predictions to be made about how the landscape will evolve in the future. This information can then be used to draw conclusions about how well a deep geological repository will be protected from erosion by the overlying rock layers. Further boreholes will be drilled during the course of the year, for example in Untersiggenthal, Gebenstorf and Neuhausen.