Recent  

The overall objective of the CHENILLE project is to performed an in-situ experiment in the Underground Reaserch Laboratory of Tournemire (Southern France) consisting of hydraulic and thermal stimulation of a fault zone. This experiment is monitored with extensive geophysical means (passive seismic, active seismic, distributed fiber optics for temperature measurements) in order to unravel the physical processes taking place during the stimulation for a better charactization of fault zones.

The overall impact of climate change is a decrease in the frost damage risk of masonry walls in Tønsberg, Norway. However, an increased frost damage risk is expected from the present to the future conditions for the walls of small, conditioned rooms with higher driving rain load and lower solar radiation gains. Moreover, the freeze-thaw events experienced by the masonry walls of unconditioned, leaky buildings are 20 times more than the ones for the small, conditioned rooms.

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.