Understanding the Subsurface -- Hydraulic Fracturing Journal

December, 2016

Understanding the subsurface better is on many grand challenges lists.  The interest is not new, and much progress has been made over the decades to better see into the earth.  Nevertheless the perception continues to be that only through actual drilling or excavation can one for sure know the subsurface in detail.  Such drilling and excavation leads to exceptional expense, disruptions, and often environmental impacts.  This author believes that understanding the heterogeneity of the rock mass physical and chemical complexity including discontinuities such as layer interfaces, fractures, and inclusions is the highest priority for better understanding of the subsurface.  The need for better understanding of the subsurface is driven by economic, environmental, and public perception considerations.  Better subsurface characterization is important.

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