14 DAY TRIAL // International scientists are currently looking for cutting-edge geophysical methods that would allow them to tap into the largest sources of energy – geothermal deposits – safely and efficiently. These are the most important natural resources of the planet, they say, and some of the smallest deposits, which are currently tapped, can supply as much power as about 1,000 wind farms combined. If the streams of lava under the crust could be directly tapped, then the world would truly enjoy an inexhaustible source of power, for generations to come.
“The new methods deliver important decision-support for the selection of sites for future geothermal projects. With this we can considerably reduce the risk of expensive misdrills,” German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) researcher Dr. Ernst Huenges, who is also the head of Geothermal Research at the Institute, says. “Reliable geothermal technologies are in demand worldwide. Even countries with a long experience in geothermal energy such as Indonesia and New Zealand are interested in the results acquired in I-GET,” he adds.
I-GET, standing for Integrated Geophysical Exploration Technologies for deep fractured geothermal systems, is a new method of assessing the exact location of deposits and tapping into them safely and effectively. It relies on measuring seismic activities and the level of electrical conductivity of what lies beneath the ground. This allows scientists to get an idea of how the underside of the Earth's crust looks like in a certain spot.
That's not to say that the new method is totally revolutionary. It also makes use of established prospecting techniques, such as drilling boreholes at designated locations, and performing analyses on the gathered rock samples. It's just that, as the old saying goes, more hands help better than one, and the fact that an entire process has been developed can be nothing but good news for those in the industry.
“Reliable geothermal technologies are in demand worldwide. Even countries with a long experience in geothermal energy such as Indonesia and New Zealand are interested in the results acquired in I-GET,” Huenges concludes.