The BICEP project requires a 250 metre borehole to be drilled under the site of the new South Stand at Eden Park. The cement encased borehole will be 300mm at the surface and telescope down to 100mm at 250m depth. It will be situated directly under the highest point of the stadium.
An array of seismic instruments will be lowered down the borehole, with various detectors being held at multiple depths along the borehole. This array will provide a constant three dimensional observation centre under the Eden Park stadium. Computers will record all the observations for analysis.
Why is this research important?
Increased Earthquake Detection: It is predicted that many microearthquakes occur at depth, but surface readings may miss many of these seismic events due to background noise on the surface of the Earth. By situating a seismology centre below the surface, the BICEP project allows scientists and engineers to identify or measure these or other events and get a clearer picture of what is happening below the surface.
Groundbreaking Science: As the first seismic centre placed under a large stadium, BICEP will be able to measure and observe the effects of large numbers of people on the ground beneath them for the first time.
Geology: As the borehole is drilled, the rocks and minerals extracted will be collected. These samples will be analysed and provide new information on the geological profile of the Auckland region.
Safer Building Construction: The movement of the earth can have huge impacts on the construction of buildings and other structures. By understanding how the Eden Park stadium responds to shaking, engineers will be better placed to design buildings that can withstand earthquakes.
The data from this project will be available to the public