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Subsurface Thermography and the Use of Temperature in Geosciences
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Subsurface Thermography and the Use of Temperature in Geosciences

A special issue of Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263). This special issue belongs to the section "Geophysics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2019) | Viewed by 34308

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Thomas Hermans

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geology, Ghent University, Campus Sterre, S8, Krijgslaan 281, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
Interests: applied geophysics (geoelectrical methods); hydrogeophysics; geophysical monitoring; aquifer thermal energy storage; deterministic and bayesian inversion methods; uncertainty quantification
Prof. Frédéric Nguyen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Urban and Environmental Engineering, Universite de Liege, Liege, Belgium
Interests: inverse problems; data assimilation; applied geophysics; geothermy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Geosciences aims to gather high-quality and original research articles, reviews and technical notes on the estimation of temperature in the subsurface (thermography) and the use of temperature to study or model subsurface processes at different scales ranging from shallow to deep systems.

Temperature distribution in the subsurface generally reveal important information on underlying processes at various scales such as geothermal systems, hydrothermal occurrences, river-groundwater exchanges, or geophysical fluid flow for instance. In addition, temperature can influence processes such as groundwater flow, storage of nuclear wastes or degradation of contaminants. Heat can also be used as a natural or induced tracer to understand the complexity and heterogeneity of the subsurface as well as exchange processes. The estimation of the temperature distribution and its assimilation in modeling is therefore of major importance for many different topics in geosciences. However, it remains challenging due to the inherent difficulty in estimating temperature at various scales and depths.

In the past decade, technologies such as distributed temperature sensing, electrical resistivity tomography or airborne thermographic surveys have been developed to help scientists and engineers to image the spatio-temporal distribution of temperature with a large spatial coverage and high resolution and, in combination with modelling, understand the often coupled processes at the origin of the observed anomalies. Nevertheless, many efforts remain to improve the analysis of the data and their integration in geothermal, geological, hydrological, geomechanical or hydrogeological models, among others.

Therefore, we would like to invite you to submit articles about your recent work (theoretical, experimental, numerical or methodological), with respect to the above topics and related topics:

  • Improvement in existing techniques for temperature estimation
  • Development of new techniques for temperature estimation
  • Integration of spatially/temporally distributed temperature in models
  • Use of temperature as a proxy/tracer for other subsurface processes
  • Modeling heat flow and transport in the subsurface
  • Modeling coupled processes where temperature plays a role

We also encourage you to send us a short abstract outlining the purpose of the research and the principal results obtained, in order to verify at an early stage if the contribution you intend to submit fits with the objectives of the Special Issue. We remain at your disposal for more information.

Prof. Thomas Hermans
Prof. Frédéric Nguyen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Geosciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Geothermal energy
  • Hydrothermal and volcanic systems
  • Heat tracer
  • Remote sensing
  • Geophysical prospecting
  • Thermal and hydro(geo)logical modelling (TH)
  • Thermo-hydro-mechanical processes (THM)

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 9780 KiB  
Article
Investigations into the First Operational Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage System in Wallonia (Belgium): What Can Potentially Be Expected?
by Guillaume De Schepper, Pierre-Yves Bolly, Pietro Vizzotto, Hugo Wecxsteen and Tanguy Robert
Geosciences 2020, 10(1), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10010033 - 19 Jan 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5367
Abstract
In the context of energy transition, new and renovated buildings often include heating and/or air conditioning energy-saving technologies based on sustainable energy sources, such as groundwater heat pumps with aquifer thermal energy storage. A new aquifer thermal energy storage system was designed and [...] Read more.
In the context of energy transition, new and renovated buildings often include heating and/or air conditioning energy-saving technologies based on sustainable energy sources, such as groundwater heat pumps with aquifer thermal energy storage. A new aquifer thermal energy storage system was designed and is under construction in the city of Liège, Belgium, along the Meuse River. This system will be the very first to operate in Wallonia (southern Belgium) and should serve as a reference for future shallow geothermal developments in the region. The targeted alluvial aquifer reservoir was thoroughly characterized using geophysics, pumping tests, and dye and heat tracer tests. A 3D groundwater flow heterogeneous numerical model coupled to heat transport was then developed, automatically calibrated with the state-of-the-art pilot points method, and used for simulating and assessing the future system efficiency. A transient simulation was run over a 25 year-period. The potential thermal impact on the aquifer, based on thermal needs from the future building, was simulated at its full capacity in continuous mode and quantified. While the results show some thermal feedback within the wells of the aquifer thermal energy storage system and heat loss to the aquifer, the thermal affected zone in the aquifer extends up to 980 m downstream of the building and the system efficiency seems suitable for long-term thermal energy production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Subsurface Thermography and the Use of Temperature in Geosciences)
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15 pages, 12111 KiB  
Article
Dipole and Convergent Single-Well Thermal Tracer Tests for Characterizing the Effect of Flow Configuration on Thermal Recovery
by Jérôme de La Bernardie, Olivier Bour, Nicolas Guihéneuf, Eliot Chatton, Laurent Longuevergne and Tanguy Le Borgne
Geosciences 2019, 9(10), 440; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9100440 - 15 Oct 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2840
Abstract
Experimental characterization of thermal transport in fractured media through thermal tracer tests is crucial for environmental and industrial applications such as the prediction of geothermal system efficiency. However, such experiments have been poorly achieved in fractured rock due to the low permeability and [...] Read more.
Experimental characterization of thermal transport in fractured media through thermal tracer tests is crucial for environmental and industrial applications such as the prediction of geothermal system efficiency. However, such experiments have been poorly achieved in fractured rock due to the low permeability and complexity of these media. We have thus little knowledge about the effect of flow configuration on thermal recovery during thermal tracer tests in such systems. We present here the experimental set up and results of several single-well thermal tracer tests for different flow configurations, from fully convergent to perfect dipole, achieved in a fractured crystalline rock aquifer at the experimental site of Plœmeur (H+ observatory network). The monitoring of temperature using Fiber-Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (FO-DTS) associated with appropriate data processing allowed to properly highlight the heat inflow in the borehole and to estimate temperature breakthroughs for the different tests. Results show that thermal recovery is mainly controlled by advection processes in convergent flow configuration while in perfect dipole flow field, thermal exchanges with the rock matrix are more important, inducing lower thermal recovery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Subsurface Thermography and the Use of Temperature in Geosciences)
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21 pages, 5318 KiB  
Article
Six Years Temperature Monitoring Using Fibre-Optic Sensors in a Bioreactor Landfill
by Sylvain Moreau, Thomas Jouen, Julien Grossin-Debattista, Simon Loisel, Laurent Mazéas and Rémi Clément
Geosciences 2019, 9(10), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9100426 - 2 Oct 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2934
Abstract
Temperature is a relevant physical parameter to monitor the biodegradation phases of waste mass. Irstea and the landfill operator SAS Les Champs Jouault have been collaborating since 2011 to study the temporal evolution and the spatial distribution of temperature in a municipal solid [...] Read more.
Temperature is a relevant physical parameter to monitor the biodegradation phases of waste mass. Irstea and the landfill operator SAS Les Champs Jouault have been collaborating since 2011 to study the temporal evolution and the spatial distribution of temperature in a municipal solid waste cell. Using distributed temperature sensing technology, optical fibres were installed in waste mass composed of household waste and industrial waste at different depths during the landfilling period. Temperature distributions were studied from 2012 until 2018 and the same evolutions are observed everywhere with more or less important amplitude variations depending on the location of the measurement point. When landfilled, the waste is at ambient temperature and a significant increase is observed the following year due to the exothermic impact of the aerobic biodegradation phase before a slower decrease during the anaerobic biodegradation phase over several years. Thermal parameters of the waste mass and the surrounding soil, as well as the heat generation function, are calculated using numerical simulation to reproduce the temperature evolution and its spatial distribution. The study of the long-term temperature evolution makes it possible to evaluate the favourable period during which the deposit cell will be in optimal conditions to promote the biodegradation waste processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Subsurface Thermography and the Use of Temperature in Geosciences)
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21 pages, 5411 KiB  
Article
Estimations of Fracture Surface Area Using Tracer and Temperature Data in Geothermal Fields
by Anna Suzuki, Fuad Ikhwanda, Aoi Yamaguchi and Toshiyuki Hashida
Geosciences 2019, 9(10), 425; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9100425 - 1 Oct 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3309
Abstract
Reinjection is crucial for sustainable geothermal developments. In order to predict thermal performances due to cold-water injection, a method was developed to estimate effective fracture surface areas (i.e., heat transfer areas). Tracer response curves at production wells are analyzed to determine flow rates [...] Read more.
Reinjection is crucial for sustainable geothermal developments. In order to predict thermal performances due to cold-water injection, a method was developed to estimate effective fracture surface areas (i.e., heat transfer areas). Tracer response curves at production wells are analyzed to determine flow rates and pore volumes, and the fracture surface areas are optimized by short-term thermal response curves. Because the method erases fracture apertures from the equation by combining mass and heat transfer equations, the fracture surfaces can be analyzed without assuming that the fracture shape is a parallel plate. The estimation method was applied to two geothermal field datasets: One involved an artificially created reservoir, and the other involved a naturally occurring reservoir. The estimated heat transfer areas are reasonable in the field geometries. Once the fracture surface area is estimated, the future temperature change and power generation can be predicted. This can provide a simple and quick method to design reinjection strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Subsurface Thermography and the Use of Temperature in Geosciences)
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18 pages, 4619 KiB  
Article
Heat as a Proxy to Image Dynamic Processes with 4D Electrical Resistivity Tomography
by Tanguy Robert, Claire Paulus, Pierre-Yves Bolly, Emma Koo Seen Lin and Thomas Hermans
Geosciences 2019, 9(10), 414; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9100414 - 24 Sep 2019
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3687
Abstract
Since salt cannot always be used as a geophysical tracer (because it may pollute the aquifer with the mass that is necessary to induce a geophysical contrast), and since in many contaminated aquifer salts (e.g., chloride) already constitute the main contaminants, another geophysical [...] Read more.
Since salt cannot always be used as a geophysical tracer (because it may pollute the aquifer with the mass that is necessary to induce a geophysical contrast), and since in many contaminated aquifer salts (e.g., chloride) already constitute the main contaminants, another geophysical tracer is needed to force a contrast in the subsurface that can be detected from surface geophysical measurements. In this context, we used heat as a proxy to image and monitor groundwater flow and solute transport in a shallow alluvial aquifer (<10 m deep) with the help of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). The goal of our study is to demonstrate the feasibility of such methodology in the context of the validation of the efficiency of a hydraulic barrier that confines a chloride contamination to its source. To do so, we combined a heat tracer push/pull test with time-lapse 3D ERT and classical hydrogeological measurements in wells and piezometers. Our results show that heat can be an excellent salt substitution tracer for geophysical monitoring studies, both qualitatively and semi-quantitatively. Our methodology, based on 3D surface ERT, allows to visually prove that a hydraulic barrier works efficiently and could be used as an assessment of such installations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Subsurface Thermography and the Use of Temperature in Geosciences)
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12 pages, 3261 KiB  
Article
Geothermal Model of the Shallow Crustal Structure across the “Mountain Front Fault” in Western Lurestan, Zagros Thrust Belt, Iran
by Matteo Basilici, Stefano Mazzoli, Antonella Megna, Stefano Santini and Stefano Tavani
Geosciences 2019, 9(7), 301; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9070301 - 9 Jul 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4236
Abstract
The Zagros thrust belt is a zone of deformed crustal rocks well exposed along the southwest region of Iran. To obtain a better knowledge of this mountain chain, we elaborated a 2D model reproducing the thermal structure of the “Mountain Front Fault”. This [...] Read more.
The Zagros thrust belt is a zone of deformed crustal rocks well exposed along the southwest region of Iran. To obtain a better knowledge of this mountain chain, we elaborated a 2D model reproducing the thermal structure of the “Mountain Front Fault”. This study, which is focused on the Lurestan region, is based on a model made by merging published sections and available information on the depth of the Moho. We present the isotherms and the geotherms calculated using an analytical methodology. The calculation procedure includes the temperature variation due to the re-equilibrated conductive state after thrusting, frictional heating, heat flow density data, and a series of geologically derived constraints. In order to perform the temperature calculations, the crustal structure in the Lurestan region is simplified as composed of two domains: A lower unit made by crystalline basement and an upper unit including all the lithostratigraphic units forming the sedimentary cover. The resulting model is compared with the numerical results obtained by previous studies to improve the description of the thermal structure of this geologically important area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Subsurface Thermography and the Use of Temperature in Geosciences)
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30 pages, 3447 KiB  
Article
Methods to Invert Temperature Data and Heat Flow Data for Thermal Conductivity in Steady-State Conductive Regimes
by Wallace Anderson McAliley and Yaoguo Li
Geosciences 2019, 9(7), 293; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9070293 - 3 Jul 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3250
Abstract
Temperature and heat flow data carry specific information about the distribution of thermal conductivity variations which is not available in other geophysical data sets. Thus, thermal data constitute important complementary data sets in the multiphysics-based imaging and characterization of earth’s subsurface. The quantitative [...] Read more.
Temperature and heat flow data carry specific information about the distribution of thermal conductivity variations which is not available in other geophysical data sets. Thus, thermal data constitute important complementary data sets in the multiphysics-based imaging and characterization of earth’s subsurface. The quantitative interpretations that accompany this effort can be carried out by determining thermal conductivities from temperature or heat flow data. Towards this goal, we develop inversion methods based on Tikhonov regularization and numerical solution of the differential equations governing the steady-state heat equation. Numerical simulations using these methods yield insights into the information content in thermal data and indicate it is similar to that in potential-field data. We apply the temperature inversion method to borehole temperature data from the Cooper Basin in Australia, a well-studied geothermal prospect. The methods and insights presented in this study pave the way for imaging the subsurface through recovered thermal conductivities and for joint quantitative interpretations of thermal data with other common geophysical data sets in various geoscientific applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Subsurface Thermography and the Use of Temperature in Geosciences)
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17 pages, 4035 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Hydraulic and Tracer Tomography for Discrete Fracture Network Inversion
by Lisa Maria Ringel, Márk Somogyvári, Mohammadreza Jalali and Peter Bayer
Geosciences 2019, 9(6), 274; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9060274 - 21 Jun 2019
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4246
Abstract
Fractures serve as highly conductive preferential flow paths for fluids in rocks, which are difficult to exactly reconstruct in numerical models. Especially, in low-conductive rocks, fractures are often the only pathways for advection of solutes and heat. The presented study compares the results [...] Read more.
Fractures serve as highly conductive preferential flow paths for fluids in rocks, which are difficult to exactly reconstruct in numerical models. Especially, in low-conductive rocks, fractures are often the only pathways for advection of solutes and heat. The presented study compares the results from hydraulic and tracer tomography applied to invert a theoretical discrete fracture network (DFN) that is based on data from synthetic cross-well testing. For hydraulic tomography, pressure pulses in various injection intervals are induced and the pressure responses in the monitoring intervals of a nearby observation well are recorded. For tracer tomography, a conservative tracer is injected in different well levels and the depth-dependent breakthrough of the tracer is monitored. A recently introduced transdimensional Bayesian inversion procedure is applied for both tomographical methods, which adjusts the fracture positions, orientations, and numbers based on given geometrical fracture statistics. The used Metropolis-Hastings-Green algorithm is refined by the simultaneous estimation of the measurement error’s variance, that is, the measurement noise. Based on the presented application to invert the two-dimensional cross-section between source and the receiver well, the hydraulic tomography reveals itself to be more suitable for reconstructing the original DFN. This is based on a probabilistic representation of the inverted results by means of fracture probabilities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Subsurface Thermography and the Use of Temperature in Geosciences)
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19 pages, 3908 KiB  
Article
Time-Lapse 3D Electric Tomography for Short-time Monitoring of an Experimental Heat Storage System
by Cesare Comina, Nicolò Giordano, Giulia Ghidone and Federico Fischanger
Geosciences 2019, 9(4), 167; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9040167 - 11 Apr 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3454
Abstract
A borehole thermal energy storage living lab was built nearby Torino (Northern Italy). The aim of this living lab is to test the ability of the alluvial deposits of the north-western Po Plain to store the thermal energy collected by solar panels. Monitoring [...] Read more.
A borehole thermal energy storage living lab was built nearby Torino (Northern Italy). The aim of this living lab is to test the ability of the alluvial deposits of the north-western Po Plain to store the thermal energy collected by solar panels. Monitoring the temperature distribution induced in the underground and the effectiveness of the heat storage in this climatic context is not an easy task. For this purpose, different temperature evolution strategies are compared in this paper: Local temperature measurements, numerical simulations and geophysical surveys. These different approaches were compared during a single day of operation of the living lab. The results of this comparison allowed to underline the effectiveness of time-lapse 3D electric resistivity tomography as a non-invasive and cost-effective qualitative heat monitoring tool. This was obtained even in a test site with unfavorable thermo-hydrogeological conditions and high-level anthropic noise. Moreover, the present study demonstrated that, if properly calibrated with local temperature values, time-lapse 3D electric resistivity tomography also provides a quantitative estimation of the underground temperature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Subsurface Thermography and the Use of Temperature in Geosciences)
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