The Section 6.2 Geothermal Energy Systems is a major partner in the IMAGE project, funded by the European Commission within FP7. The project is co-ordinated by TNO (Netherlands). ICGR scientists are heavily involved in setting up a seismic monitoring system in SW-Iceland, involving broandband seismometers on land as well as 24 ocean bottom seismometers, fiber optic cables for distributed acoustic sensing, both dwonhole in a geothermal well and at the surface, and active seismic testing including vertical seismic profiles (VSP) in a deep well.
GFZ scientists also work on establishing a database of rock physics parameters relevant for geothermal exploration, including newly measured rock properties at supercritical conditions in the high-pressure rock physics laboratory.
In addition PhD students based in Sections 2.6 (Seismic Hazard and Stress Field) and 6.1 (Basin Modelling) work on 3D thermal models of the Upper Rhine Graben and on 3D geomechanical-numerical models in the Alpine Molasse Basin.