Underground Environmental Monitoring
SHS. Steve Gabriel. This project takes place at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (Surface, 2000, 4100 and 4850-foot levels). Funds have been previously provided by SFPE. The first flow meter was installed at the 4850 level in the fall of 2012. With the help of three SFPE grants, a South Dakota Earth and Space Science Grant and two rounds of science curriculum purchases the flow meter network now has six networked flow meters with data being consolidated and graphed on a laptop located on the surface of the lab. The flow meter network is being utilized by scientists and engineers at the lab to help design the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) for the Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE). The flow meter network data has been analyzed by freshman in physical science and seniors in physics for the past five years. This year’s students will do the analysis with a few highly involved students to monitor, maintain, configure, upgrade and travel underground with me to perform maintenance on the underground flow meter network. 130 students impacted, grades 9 and 12.