This December, Tohoku University and Iwate Prefecture will conduct a joint geological survey of two places in the Ichinoseki area (part of the candidate site for the International Linear Collider).

They will look at geological features and terrain never surveyed before in Daito and Senmaya totaling 13 km (in places where the ILC tunnel is thought to go through). Surveys of the candidate site area began in the 2010 fiscal year, and (after this survey is finished) almost all of the 30 km length of the Kitakami candidate site will have geological data available.

An explanatory session was held for local residents on November 11th, and Associate Professor Tomoyuki Sanuki of the Tohoku University Graduate School of Science asked for their understanding: “We must have detailed surveys in order to dig the best possible tunnel.”

A question was asked about the International Committee for Future Accelerators (ICFA)s’ recent decision to shorten the length of (the initial stage of the) ILC from 31 km to 20 km. Prof. Sanuki responded, “If we don’t gain enough results at the 20km stage, then the research won’t move forward.”