Science & Technology: Excellent Overview of Exploring for Geothermal Energy Resources Using Structural Geology

Geothermal Energy and Structural Geology? (European Geosciences Union -EGU)

By Anne Pluymakers, Postdoctoral Researcher Experimental Rock Mechanics at CiTG TU Delft 

Fumaroles and geothermal power plants
(with crosscutting pipelines) dominate the view
in the Larderello area. Credit: Anne Pluymakers.

Fieldwork is a necessity to expand the brain, to kick-start 3D thinking. Field studies with a specific application in mind have – until now – usually been geared towards hydrocarbon reservoirs. However, with the increasing use of the subsurface, for example for CO2 storage and geothermal energy, alternative field studies gain importance.

Here, we will focus on geothermal energy, which is in many countries a prime target of the energy transition. Around half of our energy consumption is simply the need for heat for houses, industry and other applications. Of course, some tectonic settings lend themselves easier to obtaining heat than others. In settings with volcanoes (rift and subduction zones), countries such as Iceland and Italy are frontrunners in developing high temperature (>100⁰C) geothermal energy.

No matter which geographic location and which heat source is targeted, all geothermal energy reservoirs consist of the same components.

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