| Title | Lithospheric-scale 3D structural and thermal modelling of Hessen |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jessica Freymark, Magdalena Scheck-Wenderoth, Judith Sippel |
| Year | 2014 |
| Conference | European Geothermal Workshop |
| Keywords | 3D structural model, gravity modelling, conductive thermal field, Upper Rhine Graben, Rhenish Massif, Hessen, Germany |
| Abstract | The thick sediment package of the Upper Rhine Graben provides a large geothermal potential, due to high temperatures and presumably pronounced fluid flow (e.g. Guillou-Frottier et al., 2013). In order to utilize this energy resource and to minimize the risk of drilling a dry or cold well, it is crucial to understand the temperature distribution and the fluid flow in the subsurface. For the prediction of these parameters, boundary conditions in reservoir-scale models have to be defined. Due to the fact that the temperature in the subsurface is mainly controlled by deep factors, like the lithospheric thickness and radiogenic heat production in the crystalline crust, our approach is to first build a lithospheric-scale structural model. By calculating the conductive thermal field at a lithospheric-scale, we can make first-order predictions on the deep thermal field and its controlling factors. Therefore we are able to provide boundary conditions for reservoir-scale models. As a next step we can simulate with smaller scale models the coupled heat and fluid transport, focusing on the understanding of local phenomena. As a part of the “IMAGE” project (Integrated Methods for Advanced Geothermal Exploration) we aim to contribute to the development of an integrated and multidisciplinary approach for the exploration of geothermal reservoirs by understanding the processes and properties controlling the spatial distribution of key parameters (e.g. temperature) for geothermal exploration. Therefore we build a lithospheric-scale 3D structural and thermal model including parts of the Upper Rhine Graben and the Hessian Depression. Here we present first results of this study. |