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Deep Geothermal research in Northern Bavaria, background and current state of the investigation

The geothermal heat anomaly in northern Bavaria was first discovered in the late 1970s and has recently been more precisely localized. An elevated temperature of 57 °C estimated at a depth of 1000 m is estimated to be higher than that based on the normal geothermal gradient. The geothermal gradient is approximately 4.5 °C/100 m with a heat flow density of 110 - 130 mW/m². The location and extent of the geothermal anomaly are constrained by the limited number of deep wells, which has left the cause of the positive heat anomaly in the region enigmatic. In this study, we use geophysical methods and modeling to locate the granitic intrusion in the subsurface as a possible source of the observed high geothermal anomaly.

An important feature of the northern Bavarian subsurface is the presence of granitic intrusions covered by early Carboniferous turbidites and Permian graben and half-graben structures (Rotliegend sandstone), similar to those exposed setting in the western Bohemian Massif. By integrating the geological and geophysical data and modeling, we define the location and geometry of a granitic intrusion and estimate the depth to basement. Our 2D forward models predict the structural and stratigraphic setting satisfying observed geological and geophysical data. Our integrated methodology describes the granitic intrusion, the sedimentary cover, and the regional structural patterns relevant to ongoing deep geothermal exploration. This study contributes to subsurface characterization (e.g. potential reservoir and buried fault zones) and reduces risks associated with exploration and potential future development.

Details

Author
Hamed Fazlikhani1, Wolfgang Bauer1, Harald Stollhofen1
Institutionen
1Erlangen-Nuremberg University, Germany
Veranstaltung
GeoSaxonia 2024
Datum
2024
DOI
10.48380/ngeq-xm39