These plugs will not only keep the segments isolated, but will also help monitor the direction of the flow of gas within the borehole. Tracer gas will be injected into one borehole. The presence of gas when detected by special instruments and sensors within the other two boreholes will yield important information about the mountain s permeability. Other tests also will be conducted in each alcove. Scientists will collect rock samples to study their mineral content, and to learn more about their origin and composition.
Rocks can reveal much about the geologic past.
For example, a careful analysis will show how old a sample is, what pressures and temperatures shaped it, and even establish what the material was like that formed the rock. Finally, scientists will look for layers and traces of calcite-silica deposits in the alcoves and in their analyses of rock samples. This will provide them with information about how old the deposits are and how they were deposited by water moving through the layers of rock.