Exploration Geology

Contact: Dr. A. Förster, Dr. B. Norden, Dr. I. Moeck, Dr. H.-J. Förster, F. Schütz (PhD Student), S. Fuchs (PhD Student), S. Weides (PhD Student), T. Schintgen (PhD Student), N. Schulz (PhD Student), M. Nukman (PhD Student), E. Jolie (PhD Student), S. Klapperer (PhD Student)

Research performed in the field of "Exploration Geology" forms a basis for (1) the utilization of geothermal energy from Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), and (2) the storage of CO₂ in underground formations.

Subsurface conditions are studied in an integrated, multidisciplinary fashion on different scales, reaching from regional and local scale to micro scale. Site and reservoir characterization includes lithostratigraphic, petrological, petrophysical, and hydrogeological data as well as data from structural geology (field data, borehole data, geophysical survey data) integrated into numerical models. These data are prerequisites for the delineation of best-suitable borehole locations for geothermal use and the prediction of best-suitable drilling paths and drilling regimes. The characterization of the geothermal and stress fields builds a major cornerstone of present research.