Recent  

Metakaolin-based geopolymers with a Ca(OH)2 activator are investigated in the context of stone-built heritage conservation. The results of the reactivity tests are compared to the results of geopolymers with more well-known activators like NaOH and KOH. Subsequently, the physico-mechemical properties of the geopolymer with Ca(OH)2 is also investigated, in combination with standardized aggregates of marl powder, limestone powder and quartz sand.

Storm Kyrill in January 2007 was one of the worst storms in northern Europe over the past 50 years. The paper presents an overview of the infrastructure and societal impacts of the storm from a compilation of media sources. Energy meteorology impacts were prominent in the large number of power cuts in Europe. An analysis is made of tide gauge data around the North Sea to assess if there had been a recurrence of the rogue wave event at FINO1 from Storm Britta on 1 November 2006.

This study evaluates the structural geological requirements for the city of Minden, Germany, in order to provide thermal energy for domestic, commercial or even industrial usage. The structural geological modeling and the interpretation of a regional seismic line show possible geothermal reservoirs within different Mesozoic stratigraphic units (e.g. Keuper and Middle Bunter sandstones) at varying depths up to 4,100 m including temperatures obtained through analytical calculations above 150°C.

The mathematical basics of a numerical code developed specifically for the search of a site for high-level radioactive waste in Germany is presented. The code is developed in accordance to the specific regulations. First tests of the code are shown.

In 2019, a fiber optic cable was installed in the middle of a deep geothermal production well to the reservoir in Munich, Germany. This cable hangs freely below the pump and allows continuous measurements of the temperature at every meter of the cable. The well was put into operation for the first time in the summer of 2021. We used the fiber optic cable to monitor the temperature profile during production in the reservoir and to quantitatively interpret the flow zones using an inverse model.

The demand of water for human consumption in urban areas is crucial where groundwater must be consider a useful resource, but commonly in these context due to anthropic activities these water are highly contaminated. Among these contaminants of special interest are the contaminants of emerging concern which present a high risk to the aquatic environment and human health. We found and study a series of these compounds in Barcelona’s groundwaters and identify some possible origins/sources of them.

The processes which dictate replenishment of coastal aquifer systems under demographic pressures in a fast-growing megacity, Lagos, Nigeria are yet to be quantified and understood. The recharge estimates and trends provided from this study show that over the last two decades, water demand has overtaken the recharge rate over the urban agglomeration and is now rapidly converging towards the total aquifer recharge rate.

The CASPER project funded by SPGE in the Walloon Region of Belgium aims at developing an integrated approach for the evaluation and management of pollution risks for peri-urban groundwater catchmentswhich fully complies with the requirements of the 2020 DWD recast. It is based on a mass-flux risk assessment concept and a associated GIS-based decision support system.

This paper presents the implementation of probabilistic analyses to assess environmental risks while improving the productivity of the in situ coal conversion process. Parametric modelling was employed for the Máza–Váralja (Hungary) coal deposit, and parameter uncertainty was undertaken to identify the potential risks to human health and the environment. The outputs of the parametric study focused on assessing reactor stability, fault integrity, surface subsidence, and hydraulic processes.

The moving distance of the diffusion front is farther away the canister center, along the direction with the neighboring layer having lower diffusion coefficient. When the bedding angle increases, the diffusion front moves farther in z+ direction, reflecting the increase in effective diffusivity and higher impact of parallel-to-bedding diffusion. The neighboring layers can slightly reshape the diffusion front line of the radionuclide.

The quantification of the impacts on the environment and human health is a crucial prerequisite for geological sub-surface utilisation projects. With the presented approach, the shortcomings of using conceptually simplified models are substantially reduced, since subsurface complexities are accounted for. The transparency of the assessment basis should generally increase the acceptance of geoengineering projects, considered one of the crucial aspects for geological subsurface utilisation.

For a potential utilisation of coal resources located in Hungary, an assessment of groundwater pollution resulting from a water-borne contaminant pool has been undertaken. A sensitivity analysis was carried out by means of numerical simulations. Simulation results demonstrate that fluid flow via the regional faults is the main driver for a potential contamination of shallow groundwater aquifers. A parameter correlation analysis is presented.

The knowledge of the aquifer characteristics and its quality together with these vulnerable areas may lead to improve the installation of SUDS, reducing the input of contaminants through these infrastructures. The implementation of this methodology aims to facilitate water users and urban managers to control their potential negative effects on the receiving water body. In addtion, the outcomes of its application may be used to optimize the groundwater management in the city.

The project develops an integrated methodology to optimise the protection of groundwater catchments from urban pollution. This requires identifying their origins which are not always known, characterising composition and importance in terms of pollutant load, assessing current/future risks for the environment and the catchment itself, and the need for remediation. To do so, a combination of tracers and approaches has been applied and a decision-making reference system is going to be developed.

In the current climate and socioeconomic context, The Katari and Minor Lake Titicaca basin (Bolivia) has special interest because of the sensitive and vulnerable environment and ecosystems around the Titicaca Lake. These environments support traditional local human populations and other beneficial human activities. That is why we made workshops with local authorities and performed a global vision of the aquifer behavior and its vulnerability, which would generate a better decision-make process.

The present study, uses density-driven flow and transport models to evaluate mechanisms of saline water intrusion from deep aquifers into the freshwater column used for drinking water supply under different boundary conditions and for a specific site in the German Federal State of Brandenburg. Results show that mainly decreasing groundwater recharge leads to increased and earlier salinisation which highlights the need for waterworks to initiate effective countermeasures quickly and in time.

Within the Cheap-GSHPs and GEO4CIVHIC projects, innovations were advanced in the field of ground heat exchangers design for shallow geothermal systems. Among these, a metallic type has been proposed that can be installed in direct contact with the underground. As carbon steel is prone to corrosion and corrosivity varies based on site-specific underground conditions, a laboratory assessment methodology was applied to metal samples to assess the corrosion rate and forecast the durability.

The geothermal hot water reservoir below the small town of Waiwera in New Zealand has been known to the indigenous Maori for many centuries. Overproduction by European immigrants led to a water level decrease and consequently artesian flow from the wells and the seeps on the beach ceased. The Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Council established the Waiwera Thermal Groundwater Allocation and Management Plan to allow the geothermal system to recover.

The TRANSPORT Simulation Environment (TRANSPORTSE) was coupled with the geochemical reaction module PHREEQC, providing multiple new features that make it applicable to complex reactive transport problems in various geoscientific fields. Two computationally demanding and complex geochemical benchmarks were used in the present study to successfully verify the code implementation.

Safety assessments must demonstrate that radionuclides in potential disposal sites are retained within the containment providing rock zone using reactive transport simulations. Here, this is quantified for the example of uranium in the hydrogeological system of the Opalinus Clay at Mont Terri. Our work clearly shows how sensitive migration lengths resulting from simulations are to the model conceptualisation and selection of underlying data.

This paper explores the impact of low enthalpy geothermal energy (LEGE) on the behaviour of organic contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). Specifically, we investigate the impact of LEGE on phenazone that is an analgesic drug commonly reported in urban aquifers. CECs pose a risk for the environment and human health, and thus, they must be eliminated to increase the available fresh-water resources in urban areas, where water scarcity is a matter of concern due to the population growth.