Launch of groundwater temperature and level measurements The Geological Survey of Austria (GBA) developed a data logger to measure water level and groundwater temperature in multiple depth levels and to store the data on-site. Such automatic measurements provide more dataRead more
Geo-energy Theme Posts and Events
Spectacular creatures in a poisonous sulphidic atmosphere – Movile cave, Romania – 5.5 million years time capsule
Only 240 m length and 12.000 square meters, but an epochal discovery made in 1986 in the south-eastern part of Romania by the Romanian researcher Cristian Lascu (geologist, speleologist and photographer). Some geodesic studies for the location of a thermalRead more
Example of thermal water utilization in the Czech Republic
Utilization of thermal water in the Czech Republic is a very nice example of geomanifestation. Exploration work for oil in southern Moravia (Fig. 1) in 1990 led to a discovery of a natural thermal mineral water, in depth of 1,450Read more
Meet the Scientist #5 – Fernanda Veloso
Fernanda M.L. Veloso is a senior geologist specialised in geological and reservoir modelling for geological storage purposes, mainly for CO2 storage. Before she joined the BRGM (Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières – French Geological Survey) and did her PhDRead more
Timing is everything
As has been extensively discussed in a series of previous blogposts, within GeoConnect³d we are developing a structural framework. While in the initial phase of the project this framework was a rather theoretical concept, after a few months of discussionsRead more
Meet the scientist #4 – Dejan Šram
Dejan Šram finished a BSc in Geology in the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering (Ljubljana, Slovenia) in 2011. Since then he has been working at the Geological Survey of Slovenia (GeoZS) as an expert for 3D modelling and GISRead more
How sport and geology go together
Although one may still view Poland as a country with really bad road network, we are catching up. In 1989, at the beginning of socio-economic changes, 216 km of motorways were used in Poland, next 81,5 km were built betweenRead more
Meet the scientist #3 – Nina Rman
Nina Rman joined the Geological Survey of Slovenia (GeoZS) in 2006 as a PhD student. Her research focussed on regional flow of thermal waters in NE Slovenia, and she spent one semester at the Geothermal institute of University of AucklandRead more
How an unsuccessful exploration well became a geothermal oasis – the case of the Podhájske baths in Slovakia
Today Podhájske is one of the most known and best developed thermal baths of Slovakia, but its story begun with an unsuccessful exploration project for hydrocarbon deposits in the first half of the ’60-ties. The exploration wells were drilled as P-1Read more
The Quaternary – Connect³d
“While we stand holding handsI’m living in the Ice age” – Joy Division Dublin recently hosted INQUA 2019, allegedly the largest-ever gathering of geoscientists in Ireland. As I shuttled between parallel sessions for 6 days trying to absorb knowledge aboutRead more
Global warming on the surface – local warming from plate tectonics: Pannonian Basin
Are we exposed to crossfire here in the middle of Europe? Heating from the atmosphere, heating from the crust and the mantle. The life of the Earth is changing and challenges us again and again. But geology gives us manyRead more
Meet the scientist #2 – Helga Ferket
Helga Ferket is a researcher & policy advisor for the deep subsurface within the Department of Environment working for the Flemish Planning Bureau for the Environment and Spatial Development (VPO). Helga finished her master in geology at KULeuven in 1998Read more
Turning the hottest day on record into an experiment
Abstract Effects of global warming that so far have been neglected, are the impacts on research projects that study global warming solutions. This blog describes the first experiment to study such effects. The preliminary outcomes are worrying. Sudoku-experiments indicate thatRead more
How we deal with our faults
On July 4th 2019 partners of the GeoERA projects HIKE and GeoConnect3d met in Utrecht at TNO-Geological Survey for a joined workshop where they discussed “how to deal with faults”. Whereas the main mission of HIKE is to develop aRead more
Meet the scientist #1 – Kris Piessens
Kris Piessens is the coordinator of GeoConnect³d. He joined the Geological Survey of Belgium (RBINS-GSB) as a geologist in 2002, and was one of the founders of the GeoEnergy research group. He has been carrying out fundamental and applied researchRead more
Geophysical survey in Anderlecht
New geophysical method tested to identify ressources of shallow geothermal energy in urban areas TNO and GSB-GBINS launched an extensive and innovative geophysical survey of 4 days (3-6 June 2019) at the Anderlecht drilling site (Brussels, Belgium). The objective was toRead more
Determining the spatial relationship of slope and alluvial Pleistocene sediments by geoelectrical sounding of southwest slopes of Fruška Gora mountain
INTRODUCTION In the area of the sheet Bačka Palanka 4, in scale 1: 50.000, one of the project tasks included geophysical investigations of parts of the terrain, located southwest of Neštin, south of Ljuba and in the distal zone ofRead more
A survey of presumably hydrocarbons-containing water ponds in the Kog hills (Pannonian Basin, NE Slovenia)
In 2011, we were called to survey several shallow water ponds (wp) in the Kog (KOG) area, which geologically belongs to an antiform termed the Ormož-Selnica Antiform (OSA) (Fig.1). It is built of Neogene marls, sands to sandstones, shales, limestones,Read more
The blood from depths of the SW part of Pannonian basin system
In the ancient times „The blood from depths“ was the name for crude oil. From the time of Neanderthals till now this dark liquid has been changing the world. These kind of geomanifestations significantly influenced areas of SW Pannonian basinRead more
SF part IV: What will I be?
If you stumbled upon this post, you are forgiven to find the next phrases a little quaint. That is because it took three posts (part I, part II and part III) to come to the point where the structural frameworkRead more
SF part III: Light at the end of the tunnel
In the previous part of the series, we drifted further away from finding a solution to build a structural framework. But we also learned a few things, such as that structural geology should not be the only component of theRead more
SF part II: Revolution in the air
A structural framework isn’t an easy concept. If you don’t agree, you may have forgotten to read part I of this post. Or you are just extremely smart. Last week we stopped after showing that a structural framework is aRead more
SF part I: Disagreeing on a structural framework
In the beginning… we agreed on very little. Some partners of GeoConnect³d didn’t pay too much attention to some other partners that were claiming that a structural framework would make a big difference. After all, a structural framework is nothingRead more
Gravity doesn’t lie, does it?
An Australian-Canadian friend and former colleague in Australia, with many years of experience in gravity and magnetic data interpretation, used to tell me: “gravity doesn’t lie”. What geophysicists and geologists measure with gravity data are actually variations in gravitational accelerationRead more
MUSE team meeting in Cardiff, UK
Project partners from geological surveys across Europe converged in Cardiff (UK) between 26th to 29th March for the second MUSE (Managing Urban Shallow geothermal Energy) project workshop. The 3-Day meeting was held in a tower in Cardiff Castle and includedRead more
Towards a project vocabulary: geological concepts for humans and computers
GeoConnect³d aims to provide to stakeholders a coherent geological context for evaluating subsurface applications and resolving subsurface management issues. For this, two concepts were introduced: structural framework and geomanifestations. Besides the database, the geological structures and manifestations that will beRead more
The slow cooking of the Earth in big pots!
Noticed for the first time in 1867 by the Frenchman H. Cognand during oil exploration in Romania, the Mud Volcanoes from Berca, Buzău county, from the central part of the Subcarpathians of Curvature, are not only spectacular geomanifestations, but alsoRead more
Greenhouse-gas neutral Europe and the role of geology
In November 2018, the European Commission presented its communication titled ”A Clean Planet for all: A European strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy”. The document did not attract much attention by the media, notRead more
Can seismic amplitude anomalies in the Campine Basin be related to geomanifestations?
Due to the thick overburden by Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic sediments, geomanifestations are not often present at the surface, but rather restricted to the subsurface of Flanders. One way to visualize geomanifestations in the subsurface is by the use ofRead more
Tracking the history for a new prospection of subsurface assets
Located in the South-Eastern Poland, the Holy Cross Mountains are known for many places of occurrence of hydrothermal metal-bearing vein mineralization. In many ways, ores located here are similar to those known in historical mining districts of the Schwarzwald orRead more
Geothermics and Geomanifestations (2)
A geothermal terrain of outstanding geomanifestations The Afar Triangle, overlapping the borders of Eritrea, Ethiopia and Djibouti, is a segment of proto-oceanic crust in the Afro-Arabian Rift System where the spreading ridges that are forming the Red Sea and theRead more
Geothermics and Geomanifestations (1)
A geothermal bonanza bare of geomanifestations Distinct local expressions of ongoing or past geological processes are referred to as geomanifestations. Many of them result from anomalies that may be an indicator of a “geopotential” in terms of subsurface resources capableRead more
The Irish border problem
“Tomorrow I’ll walk these tracks That will lead me across the border” – Bruce Springsteen At some point during the creation of the Geoconnect3d project, when a lot of survey geologists from around Europe were crammed in a room andRead more
Knowledge Exchange Workshop of MUSE and HotLime projects held in Zagreb
On 23-24 January 2019 a knowledge exchange workshop of the GeoERA projects MUSE and HotLime was held in Zagreb, Croatia. The Croatian Geological Survey, partner in both projects, hosted the workshop. Topic of the workshop was temperature modelling for geothermalRead more
Geomanifestation or Spa City? BOTH!
Budapest is famous for its thermal spas so we can easily point out: this is a GEOMANIFESTATION. And indeed it is. “Behind” the city there are mainly carbonate and dolomite mountains (the main aquifer is Upper Triassic) with a hugeRead more
MUSE leaflet available now
Hot out of the press The MUSE Leaflet in English language is now available. Find out what is behind MUSE and no, we are not the rockband from UK! The project MUSE supports the efficient and sustainable use ofRead more
Geomanifestations – how uncommon mineral occurrences can help to reveal geological evolution processes
A manifestation is the appearance or sign of something that exists or happens. Taking this concept to the geological world, the GeoERA research programme defines geomanifestation as any distinct local expression of a geological process, past or ongoing. These expressions,Read more
GeoERA Technical Workshop GeoEnergy and others
History and structure of the Danube and Transcarpathian basins in Slovakia
The Pannonian Basin is situated in the middle of the European mountain ranges – the Carpathian arc, Dinarides and Eastern Alps. Surrounding mountains show their beautiful face but only geologists know how complicated the structures of the rocks are atRead more
A story of water and bubbles
As a follow-up on the hairdresser’s blog entry, we remain in the beauty department. For – literally – centuries, people from all over the European continent have been traveling to a little town in the southeast of Belgium to enjoyRead more
Far NE Pannonian Basin – Trans-Carpathian Trough of Ukraine
The north-east part of the Pannonian Basin, actually its narrow band, is known in Ukraine as the Trans-Carpathian Trough. The region is located to the south-west from the Ukrainian Carpathians and is extensively eroded, with narrow ridges, steep (25-40o) slopes,Read more
Season’s greetings with a geologist’s perspective…
With Christmas just behind us, and New Year approaching fast, the world is now half-way in that time of year that is reserved for wishing everyone the best for yet another year. You have certainly received enough blessings from friends,Read more
Geomanifestations – Acoustic Bright Spots and Shallow Gas in the Netherlands
Introduction Geomanifestations are defined as distinct expressions of an ongoing or past geological process at surface or at depth. Gas seeps and subsurface accumulations fit this definition and in this blog we show some examples of shallow gas manifestations inRead more
The MUSE team met in Essen, Germany
Essen, November 27 – 29 From November 27 to 28, the MUSE team organized the first partner workshop in Essen, Germany. The workshop was linked to the German Geothermal Congress (DGK), which represents one of the largest annual scientific geothermalRead more
Would you fund GeoConnect³d?
As you by now know (or should know), GeoConnect³d is a project that is not ordinary. Your average project will promise to deliver something, or resolve an issue, come up with an evaluation… The typical project is goal oriented. That is an attractive formula, because theRead more
Significant geomanifestations along the contact of South Pannonian Basin and Dinaride Ophiolite Zone in Bosnia and Herzegovina
In the present structure of the Dinarides an important role have the South Pannonian Basin. The South Pannonian Basin is located in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Spreča-Kozara deep fault represents the northern boundary of the DinarideRead more
Geomanifestations in North Serbia (Vojvodina)
The Panonnian basin is located in the Northern part of Serbia. That province of Serbia is called Vojvodina, with three regions: Banat, Bačka and Srem. This area is specific with a thinned Earth’s crust of only 25,5 km to 29 km, as a result of geodynamic movement. The average heat flow is between 83 and 111 mW/m2 (continental average 60 mW/m2), indicating a significant geothermal potential. From a geological point ofRead more
The story of medical oil – Naphtalan
The area around Ivanić-Grad is one of the oldest Croatian oil and gas provinces. This is a place which is better known as “Croatian Kuwait”. But that’s not all. People don’t use the oil and gas only for transportation andRead more
What kind of meeting…?
What kind of meeting did you have today? Well, we scientists, we classify and structure everything, and when it comes to important meetings, my system involves three important types: a regular meeting, a pie-meeting, and a chocolate-pie-meeting. Today we hadRead more
Subsurface management
The subsurface plays nowadays an important role as it provides essential resources: drinking water, hydrocarbons, raw materials and heat, etc., as well as the capacity for large-scale fluid storage (natural gas, liquid or liquefied hydrocarbons). Yet, the use of theRead more
Geomanifestations in North East Slovenia
Slovenia is positioned in an area with ongoing convergence between the Adriatic microplate and the Eurasian plate. This results in a noticeable number of active faults – exhibiting deformation during the Quaternary, which are mostly dextral strike-slip faults. Their directionRead more
Updated AOI for the R2R area
And here it is! After careful consideration of project scope, available data and commitment of the different partner organisations (see also previous blog post), the area of interest (AOI) for R2R was updated to its final shape. ThisRead more
Geomanifestations?!
Ever heard of geomanifestations? A geomanifestation is any distinct expression of an ongoing or past geological process. They often point to specific geologic conditions. Examples include seismicity, gas seeps, local compositional differences in groundwater and springs, thermal anomalies, mineral occurrences,Read more
Ground to cover for R2R, or how to define an Area of Interest
Months are spent on writing a project proposal, thinking it through, and rewriting it until you are fully convinced that all bases are covered. That leaves a good feeling, which usually lasts until, well, the project is accepted. During theRead more