2nd GeoLaB Scientific Workshop
GeoLaB is being developed as a future underground research laboratory and collaborative research platform for geothermal energy in fractured crystalline rock. The scientific GeoLaB consortium, the Helmholtz Centers KIT, GFZ, UFZ in cooperation with the TU Darmstadt, invites the research community to actively contribute to this process.
GeoLaB is currently in the final stage of the exploration phase. As part of this phase, two deep boreholes have been drilled into the crystalline rock of the Tromm in the Odenwald (Germany), two seismic campaigns and numerous in-situ measurements and lab experiments were conducted. The site investigations provide essential geological, geophysical, hydrogeological and petrophysical data for evaluating the site’s potential as a future underground research laboratory. A digital twin has been set up integrating the extensive data sets from the beginning (GeoDT project).
While the site evaluation is being finalized, GeoLaB is being further developed conceptually in parallel. Scientific studies and simulations, experimental and infrastructure concepts for a potential underground laboratory are being explored.
Workshop Objectives
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Discuss and interpret data from the exploration phase
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Identify key scientific challenges and opportunities in geothermal systems hosted in crystalline rock
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Develop innovative concepts for experiments, modeling approaches, digitalization, underground infrastructures, and dialogue with the public
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Contribute to the scientific roadmap of GeoLaB.
Keynote Lectures
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Prof. Dr. Eva Schill, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
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Dr. Mohammadreza Jalili, RWTH Aachen University
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Dr. Marian Hertrich, ETH Zürich
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Dr. Fabian Uth, Geothermie Allianz Bayern
Scientific Themes
We invite contributions on (but not limited to) the following themes:
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Development of standardized workflows for exploration and site selection of underground research laboratories
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Geological, geophysical, and petrophysical characteristics of the Tromm Massif in the Odenwald region
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Innovative construction strategies for underground facilities, e.g., tunnels, in crystalline environments
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AI-assisted drilling technologies for wells and tunnels
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Digital Twin concepts for underground research laboratories and drilling simulators integrating AI and numerical modeling
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Thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-(bio)chemical (THMC) simulations to support experimental designs
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Development of controlled stimulation experiments aimed at maximizing the contact surface of the host rock
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Development of innovative geothermal applications that can be tested in experimental facilities, such as underground research laboratories like GeoLaB
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Public engagement strategies for research infrastructures
Publication Opportunity
Authors of accepted abstracts will have the opportunity to submit a full-length manuscript to a dedicated Article Collection in the peer-reviewed journal Geothermal Energy, associated with the workshop.
Get an impression of the GeoLaB exploration phase here.
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