science

Konrad mine

Konrad mine is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Konrad mine rather than just read about it. In short: The Konrad mine (Schacht Konrad) is a former iron ore mine proposed as a deep geological repository for medium- and low level radioactive waste in the city Salzgitter in the Metropolitan region Hannover-Braunschweig-Göttingen-Wolfsburg in southeast Lower Saxony, Germany, located between Hildesheim and Braunschweig. It has two shafts: Konrad I and Konrad II.

Key takeaways

Konrad mine belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Konrad mine to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Konrad mine from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Konrad mine (Schacht Konrad) is a former iron ore mine proposed as a deep geological repository for medium- and low level radioactive waste in the city Salzgitter in the Metropolitan region Hannover-Braunschweig-Göttingen-Wolfsburg in southeast Lower Saxony, Germany, located between Hildesheim and Braunschweig. It has two shafts: Konrad I and Konrad II.

History The iron ore deposits have been mined since the start of the industrialization in the Salzgitter area. The first activities began in 1867. The Konrad mine is the youngest of the former iron ore mines in this region. It has two shafts, of which Schacht Konrad I, is approximately 1,232 meters and Schacht Konrad II is around 999 meters deep. The mining operation on Konrad lasted from 1961 to 1976. During this period, a total of 6.7 million tonnes of iron ore were retrieved.

Authorization for radioactive waste disposal

Konrad mine is an unusually dry iron ore mine. Since this is one of the criteria for a deep final repository for radioactive waste, the studies on the possibility of a disposal site were started in 1975. The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) started the plannings procedure on 31 August 1982. The Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, the Ministry of Environment of Lower Saxony and the Deutsche Gesellschaft zum Bau und Betrieb von Endlagern für Abfallstoffe discussed the issue between September 1992 and March 1993. On 22 May 2002 the license for the final deep geological storage of medium- and low level radioactive waste was approved. Several complaints against the license were filled at the Oberverwaltungsgericht Lüneburg. Key action points were the long-term safety, the safety studies were 25 years old and little based on facts, accidents, transport of radioactive waste, radioactive exposure to the population in the area, possible terrorist attacks, the lack of a comparative assessment with other locations and the planning jurisdiction of municipalities. The hearing lasted from February 28 to March 2, 2006. The Oberverwaltungsgericht Lüneburg dismissed the cases as ungrounded in March 2006. Given the fundamental importance of the ruling individual plaintiffs still sought a revision to the Federal Administrative Court of Germany (by non-admission complaint), which however was not accepted in 2007. The license approves the storage of up to 0.000303 km3 (or 303,000 m3) of low- and intermediate level radioactive waste. After the initial phase of final storage to clear the backlog of 88,000 m3 waste in other locations the expected traffic is 10 road freight vehicles and one train of 20 freight wagons per week. By the end of 2007 around 945 million euros has been spent on reconnaissance and planning, for the remaining necessary measures such as the upgrading of the mine and completion of the disposal site the costs are estimated at another 900 million euros.

Foundation GmbH

For the takeover of state-specific responsibilities, which the city and the region Salzgitter bear, a foundation GmbH is proposed by the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. The energy companies initially bring in 30 million euros with further payments over an initial period of 30 years of service. The federal government will contribute from 2009 to 2043 700,000 euros per year. The fund will compensate for the lack of tax revenues since the operation of the shaft Konrad like any other business uses the infrastructure in the area of Salzgitter but is relieved from VAT and local tax measures.

Conversion The establishment of the technical installations for the disposal and storage chambers started. The conversion has taken a number of years and was due to be complete in 2027, though this date will now not be met. Storage is scheduled to start the early 2030s. Clustered storage chambers form a storage depot. In total, up to nine storage depots are projected on the existing main soles on 800, 850, 1000, 1100, 1200 and 1300 m depth. The storage chambers are created with a diameter of about 40 m2 with a bottom width of about 7 meters and a height of about 6 meters. Its length should be - depending on the geological and mining technical conditions - 100 to 1000 meters. After the storage of the radioactive containers, the sectional shafts will be closed with concrete for the permanent storage of the nuclear waste.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Konrad mine

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Konrad mine claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Konrad mine before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Konrad mine ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Konrad mine

In research: Konrad mine appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Konrad mine in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Konrad mine is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics History of mining in Germany, Iron mines in Germany, Mine closures in the 1970s, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Konrad mine outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Konrad mine in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Konrad mine means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Konrad mine out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Konrad mine in simple terms?

Why does Konrad mine matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Konrad mine?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Konrad mine.