Geology Seminar Series

Wed., Nov. 27, 2019 4:00 p.m. - Wed., Nov. 27, 2019 4:30 p.m.

Location: College West Room 237.3

Topic: Developing Subsurface Site Criteria for a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) in Southern Saskatchewan

Speaker: Ms. Amber Spraque, master student in the Department of Geology, University of Regina

Abstract:

This study is part of a larger multidisciplinary project funded by the Fedoruk Centre to investigate the wide range of criteria required for the siting of an advanced technology unit in Saskatchewan. This project explored the potential subsurface conditions required to ensure optimal geological parameters for siting a small modular reactor (SMR) in the province. Subsurface conditions that represented potential hazards from natural phenomena such as seismic activity, faulting and lineaments, areas of salt dissolution. It collected information on the impact of economic activity on bed rock integrity. This included oil and gas operations (fracking & injection), coal mining (abandoned or active mining), (open pit vs underground mine), potash industry (solution mining vs roof and pillar) and disposal wells. Data collected was used to generate maps of the areas of natural and economic phenomena to identify zones of weakness, in order to determine bedrock integrity.

The student is conducting her study under the supervision of Dr. Janis Dale and Dr. Stephen Bend