Efficient groundwater monitoring for underground and open-cast mining

Amongst others, the most important mining area for K+S in Germany is the potassium salt mine “Werra” with its related sites in Herring, Philippsthal and Unterbreizbach, all close to the border of Hesse and Thuringia. The potash salt mine “Werra” is, with an exploitation area of approximately 2500 km2, the world’s largest potassium mining area. The objective upper and lower potassium deposits are located in a depth of up to more than 800 m are part of the Zechstein Unit (Lopingium) of the Permian period, are surrounded by the Werra Rock Salt (Werra Steinsalz) formation (Fig. 1).