The assessement of fracture networks is a key element for underground reservoir studies. The available methods for such assessement are unfortunately very limited in the case of complex 3 dimensions geometries. The paper shows a new method to overcome these limitations through automatic detection from images of outcrops.

The crystalline basement is considered a ubiquitous and almost inexhaustible source of geothermal energy in the Upper Rhine Graben. Interdisciplinary investigations of relevant reservoir properties were carried out on analogous rocks in the Odenwald. The highest hydraulic conductivities are expected near large-scale fault zones. In addition, the combination of structural geological and geophysical methods allows a refined mapping of potentially permeable zones.

Knowledge of groundwater properties is relevant, e.g. for drinking-water supply, spas or geothermal energy. We compiled 1035 groundwater datasets from 560 springs or wells sampled since 1810, using mainly publications, supplemented by personal communication and our own measurements. The data can help address spatial–temporal variation in groundwater composition, uncertainties in groundwater property prediction, deep groundwater movement, or groundwater characteristics like temperature and age.

Physical rock properties are a key element for resource exploration, the interpretation of results from geophysical methods or the parameterization of physical or geological models. Despite the need for physical rock properties, data are still very scarce and often not available for the area of interest. The database presented aims to provide easy access to physical rock properties measured at 224 locations in Bavaria, Hessen, Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia (Germany).

Petrophysical and mechanical rock properties are essential for reservoir characterization of the deep subsurface and are commonly used for the population of numerical models or the interpretation of geophysical data. The database presented here aims at providing easily accessible information on rock properties and chemical analyses complemented by extensive metadata (location, stratigraphy, petrography) covering volcanic, sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks from Jurassic to Holocene age.