High lithium concentrations of up to 162 mg kg^-1 in highly saline hydrothermal fluids occur in the calcareous Muschelkalk aquifer. We have combined and with modern investigation methods newly interpreted geological, hydraulic, hydrochemical, isotopic, thermal, and stress field data of the Muschelkalk aquifer beneath the Cenozoic and Jurassic sediments, i.e. the Molasse basin, for a spatial synopsis to constrain the origin of these brines. Low gradient groundwater flow in the Upper Muschelkalk aquifer is to the north, enabled by the regional recharge from west, southwest, south, and southeast, leading to a conspicuous flow field pattern. However, the north-south-trending maximum horizontal stress orientation might provide fracture permeability in the competent carbonates of the Upper Muschelkalk aquifer. Surprisingly, high lithium concentrations of up to 162 mg kg^-1 in highly saline hydrothermal fluids occur in the Muschelkalk, i.e. in a carbonate-rich aquifer. The highest lithium concentrations and total dissolved solids (TDS) can be found in the southern part of the Muschelkalk aquifer, close to the Vindelician High, a former crystalline basement land surface. Both trace elements and isotope data were used to get information on the origin and development of the highly saline, lithium-rich fluids in the Muschelkalk aquifer. In order to identify possible lithium sources within the aquifer, high temperature alteration experiments with rock material from a quarry in the Muschelkalk Group were carried out. Our investigations do support an extra-reservoir origin of the lithium-rich fluids from crystalline basement rocks. The marginal sand-rich facies of the Muschelkalk Group enables inflow of brines.

With the continuing search for clean energy resources, geothermal energy can play a pivotal role in providing a resource with continuous baseload energy. However, for geothermal projects to be successful, both geologically and economically, a proper investigation must be performed on potential locations for exploitation. Here, we present the results of an assessment of the geothermal resources of the northern Upper Rhine Graben.

Starting with initial geological studies of the lithological formations, an analysis is performed to assess their thermal energy-bearing potential. Using a heat-in-place calculation approach, a new model is presented, using the latest available data. But while the energy is present, it is not always retrievable. Therefore this presentation will not only look at the heat-in-place analysis but also at how much of the energy can technically be recovered for consumption.

However, subsurface modeling is a venture with uncertainty. And while the best efforts give a good indication of geothermal potential, uncertainty remains. Thus this presentation will also dive deeper into the uncertainties that remain in the study. The results presented here are publicly available and provide a starting point for stakeholders to accelerate initial geothermal investigations.

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The electrification in the mobility sector and plans for a large-scale domestic battery cell production makes lithium a highly critical raw material and highlight the strategic importance of its supply. However, Germany is projected to face a significant lithium deficit in the short term. One potential solution lies in the lithium dissolved in geothermal brines of the Upper Rhine Graben (URG) and the North German Basin (NGB). Extracting lithium from these fluids, known as direct lithium extraction (DLE), offers geostrategic advantages, is environmentally friendly and can potentially also help boosting the large geothermal technology roll-out. Currently, with an intermediate technology readiness level of 5-6, DLE has proven its applicability in small-scale demonstrators and is about to be scaled up. To assess the feasibility and implementation of geothermal lithium extraction, an evaluation of geothermal deposits and extraction processes has been done. Based on the current geothermal capacities in Germany the lithium quantities that could be extracted are quantified and compared to the forecasted German demand. Furthermore, the necessary expansion of geothermal in Germany to access the required reservoir volumes is extrapolated. To assess the long-term behavior of a reservoir under production, a generic model, based on the URG geothermal setting, was developed, and extraction over a 30-year operation time was simulated. Despite a significant depletion, a mean production of 231 t/a (1230 t/a LCE) is achieved, for a current state-of-the-art doublet type geothermal power plant. Implementing DLE has the potential to greatly enhance the economic viability of geothermal.

Geothermal energy utilization can be traced back to the Paleolithic era, an impressive 14,000 years ago. Although the majority of ancient societies predominantly relied on surface geothermal activities to extract heat and minerals, the remarkable Persian civilization ingeniously constructed a geothermal system that integrated wells, water channels, heat exchangers, and heat storage systems. The ancient Persian cooling methods were primarily centered around the Badgirs, which are windcatchers, and their amalgamation with Qanat, the underground water channels, and Ab-Anbar, the underground water storage cisterns. In a meticulously-designed integrated energy system comprising geothermal, wind, and hydrothermic thermal energy storage, the Qanat embodies the geothermal section, the Badgir represents the wind section, and the Ab-Anbar represents the hydrothermic thermal energy storage system.

This paper aims to examine the historical legacy of ancient Iran in the development of geothermal energy utilization for refrigeration. In addition, the paper seeks to verify whether Iran's cooling systems were the first geothermal cooling systems in history. By exploring the historical roots and unique features of this innovative energy system, the paper intends to shed light on how ancient civilizations utilized geothermal energy for cooling purposes and how this knowledge can be leveraged to develop sustainable and efficient cooling technologies in the modern world.

Mineral mapping from satellite images is crucial in assessing and exploring geothermal fields, providing valuable insights into mineral alteration and helping identify potential geothermal resources. Previous research has employed various methodologies for spectral identification, including ACE, CEM, MF, MTMF, OSP, SAM, TCIMF, and MTTCIMF. However, the quality of mapping results remained a major concern for application.

This study utilized ASTER satellite images of the Coso Geothermal Field in California, USA, with geological samples obtained from the field as the primary ground truth. Hyperspectral data were collected from these samples using the ASD FieldSpec 4 Hi-RES NG portable spectrometer. By analyzing samples from the Coso Geothermal Field, the research established a ground-truth dataset and a spectral library specific to the field. The spectral library was subsequently examined using the CSIRO TSG and ENVI THOR Material Identification, with supporting information from SEM, pXRF, and sample occurrence. The study acquired multiple high-purity spectra of alteration minerals such as alunite, chalcedony, hematite, kaolinite, and opal.

A limited number of studies have been dedicated to accurately assessing spectral mapping for geological materials, particularly in evaluating all eight algorithms mentioned above. The research used the abovementioned methods to leverage pre-processed satellite data and the spectral library to perform mineral spectral target detection. The accuracy of each method was calculated based on the ground-truth data, yielding the highest accuracies for ACE, CEM, MF, and MTMF methods. We performed a fusion of the four best methods to generate mineral alteration maps for the Coso Geothermal Field.