Geopolitical Dynamics of Subterranean Territories

Subterranean territories have emerged as a critical frontierscape in contemporary geopolitics, reshaping conventional notions of sovereignty and spatial control. Beneath the surface lies a volumetric domain marked by complex geological formations, infrastructural networks and resource corridors that defy traditional two-dimensional cartography. States, corporations and non-state actors vie for influence over this three-dimensional space, driven by the pursuit of critical minerals, unconventional hydrocarbons, groundwater and strategic tunnels. Technological advances in geophysical sensing, hydraulic fracturing and three-dimensional modelling have intensified both the visibility of these hidden realms and the contestation they engender. Legal frameworks struggle to adapt to overlapping claims of upper and lower strata, while environmental and social considerations increasingly inform subterranean governance. The politics of depth intersects with questions of environmental justice and decoloniality, as historically marginalised communities confront the uneven impacts of subsurface exploitation. In addressing the geopolitical dynamics of subterranean territories, scholars adopt interdisciplinary lenses that integrate security studies, human geography and earth sciences to illuminate how power, materiality and jurisdiction coalesce beneath our feet.

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Geopolitical Dynamics of Subterranean Territories publication trend

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Technical terms

Volumetric sovereignty: The assertion of political authority over three-dimensional extents of territory, including subsurface layers.

Assemblage theory: A framework for analysing how heterogeneous elements (material, technological, social) coalesce to produce emergent structures.

Decolonial volume: An approach that foregrounds anti-colonial perspectives in the study of three-dimensional space and the uneven legacies of resource extraction.

Vertical geopolitics: The examination of power relations across different strata of the earth, encompassing subterranean and aerial dimensions.

References

1. A Cartography of the Unknowable: Technology, Territory and Subterranean Agencies in Israel’s Management of the Gaza Tunnels. Geopolitics (2018).
2. Three-dimensional security: Layers, spheres, volumes, milieus. Political Geography (2019).
3. Swirling, splashing, slowing: Towards gentle volumes. Political Geography (2023).
4. Depth beyond 3D: The decolonial dimensions of volume. Progress in Human Geography (2022).
5. Unconventional energy resources in a crowded subsurface: Reducing uncertainty and developing a separation zone concept for resource estimation and deep 3D subsurface planning using legacy mining data. The Science of The Total Environment (2017).