Each year, teams across Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) advance world-class science and inspire learning across generations.
Here’s what that looked like in 2023.
Advancing multiple disciplines of scientific discovery
The excavation for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment is ongoing. Following the completion of the caverns, the next phase includes outfitting and construction for the DUNE detectors at SURF. This is all part of the construction for the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility.
Published results by researchers working on LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) make it the top dark matter experiment of its kind on the planet. LZ leads the global race to directly detect dark matter.
SURF is now home to the next generation of geothermal energy research through the DOE Energy Earthshots initiative. This includes the Center for Understanding Subsurface Signals and Permeability (CUSSP) experiment led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. This experiment will help scientists better understand how fluids transfer heat and interact with deep underground rock fractures over the long term.
The tantalum-180 experiment surpassed previous measurements by two orders of magnitude. In February, researchers announced initial measurements based on the first 229 days of data-taking from the experiment located nearly a mile underground at SURF.
The CETUP* conference drew leading physicists, theorists, and experimentalists to Lead, SD. SURF revived the conference, which had been held annually from 2011 through 2016, as part of the newly formed Institute for Underground Science at SURF.
The Deep Mine Microbial Observatory, or DeMMO, returned to SURF celebrating 10 years of research on site and laying the foundation in the ongoing search for extremophiles.
Researchers published the “final word on the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR,” and reflected on the mission of the experiment that lasted nearly six years at SURF.
7,400 attendees at public events
Like Neutrino Day, Deep Talks, and presentations around the state.
18,000 students reached across the state and region
With hands-on activities that empower STEM learning for all students.
Institute for Underground Science at SURF launched
The Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) has launched The Institute for Underground Science at SURF, which will serve as a hub for leading scientists from various fields that conduct research underground. The Institute will unite the global underground scientific community to inspire discovery and build intellectual community in fields such as physics, biology, geology, and other disciplines.
