Concepts of High-Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (HT-ATES) are investigated for system application in the German Molasse Basin. We quantify via physics-based numerical modelling the system performance with respect to HT-ATES concept development and provide a predictive analysis of HT-ATES application in the Upper Jurassic reservoir. Results demonstrate a non-uniform layer-specific distribution of the thermal front propagation, while promising heat recovery efficiencies are predicted.

Storm Daria was a severe winter storm that crossed northern Europe on 25–26 January 1990 with large damage costs and fatalities.  A literature review is presented of societal damage and the interruption of energy and transport networks.  Met-ocean data is analyzed to see if there might have been rogue wave strikes in the North Sea.  This includes careful analysis of tide gauge data from stations around the North Sea as well as available offshore wave measurements and maritime accidents.   

Future glaciations can affect the long-term safety of deep geological repositories for nuclear waste. This study introduces a simple method to assess frequency and duration of ice sheets over the next one million years at locations with past glaciations. The method considers uncertainties in human-caused CO₂ emissions and climate change. It is easy to implement for any nuclear waste management organization that need to consider impacts of future ice sheets on long-term safety.

We examined how water quality in aquifers and streams varies along the Besòs catchment, and changes in streams during wet and dry periods. Analysis of water quality data (2013-2023) in open databases shows nutrients and salinity increase towards the outlet, and more markedly during dry periods. Since such dry periods may become more frequent with climate change in this Mediterranean basin, this highlights the importance of controlling pollution sources affecting water quality and availability.

Dealing with the sociotechnical system of nuclear waste needs an integrated perspective. Its global blockage is due to the neglect of relevant issues. The concept of sustainability (passive protection & control) suggests itself as a reference, enabling a stepwise analysis of dimensions: beyond the triad of ecological/economical/social, also temporal, spatial, technical, political, ethical. The proposal avoids simple complexity reduction, either “technical” or “social fix” (volunteers first). 

This paper presents a surrogate modelling approach applied to a geochemical system of uranium sorption on clay, relevant for the safety assessment of nuclear waste repositories. The surrogate uses knowledge about the underlying process to recursively partition the dataset into regions of reduced dimensionality. It achieves high accuracy with a competitive prediction throughput, and is a promising method to speedup  computationally demanding coupled reactive transport models.

To operate aquifer thermal energy storages in a sustainable way, we located an artesian aquifer other than the aquifer storage in a research wellbore by analyzing the subsurface temperature as monitored with a fiber optic cable in three artesian flow tests. The positioning of the artesian aquifer was validated via numerical modelling. Analyses of the temperature data and numerical modelling enabled determining the profile of flow velocity, flow rate and the depth interval of inflow.

To combat global warming and achieve net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is vital. Despite being a top CO₂ emitter globally, Brazil is early in its CCS journey. Our study evaluates the potential of using southern Brazil's saline aquifers for CO₂ storage with the aim of supporting Brazil’s efforts to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change. We identify optimal storage sites in two basins, Paraná and Espírito Santo, with ideal locations near existing pipelines. 

As groundwater serves as the principal source of water worldwide, its quality is of paramount importance. In this study, the evolution of groundwater quality in California is assessed using the Water Quality Index & Weighted Index Overlay Analysis methods. Several water quality parameters are considered for the analysis, and the results from both methods are compared. The study shows that in most parts of California, groundwater quality is potable, as per WHO guidelines, except in a few places. 

In Colombia there are many areas with little or no hydrometeorological information that would allow for adequate water resource management, especially in times of low supply of the resource. In this work, several modeling techniques are implemented to generate data grids of meteorological variables that allow for reliable calculations of the potential recharge of aquifers, controlling uncertainties.

Scaling, particularly calcium carbonate precipitation in Bavaria, diminishes the efficiency of geothermal systems. To mitigate this issue, modeling for predictive maintenance is required, yet data are scarce. To address this, experimental data of the process were obtained using a new combination that allows qualitative and quantitative investigation in real time. Unfortunately, the stability of the signal degraded in long-term experiments, limiting measurements to durations of up to one day.

Waiwera is a small coastal village located on New Zealand's North Island above a geothermal reservoir. The origin of the warm water is not well understood. An inferred fault zone at the base of the reservoir is thought to channelise the uprising thermal water. The observed characteristic cold and hot water distribution in the system was simulated and the temperature profiles show an improved agreement in the near field around the centre of the reservoir.