The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is an important issue facing society at present. Appropriately designed, district-scale geothermal heating systems can satisfy society’s “energy trilemma”, by providing a secure energy supply that is economical and environmentally sustainable. The ability to use geothermal resources to generate heat in urban areas where the demand is greatest has the potential to significantly reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and to support national and EU sustainable energy policies. Potential deep geothermal resources in challenging, lower-enthalpy EU settings remain poorly understood and largely untapped.
The GEO-URBAN project aims to explore the potential for low enthalpy geothermal energy in urban environments. The project will focus on two target locations – Dublin, Ireland and Vallès, Catalonia, Spain – and will provide a feasibility analysis for the commercial development of deep geothermal resources in these regions.
GEO-URBAN will evaluate novel geophysical exploration and modelling techniques for urban areas, which will be applied at both test locations. Geophysical data collected during GEO-URBAN will feed into a commercialisation strategy for the exploitation of deep geothermal resources in challenging urban environments, which will draw upon existing knowledge and experience from partners in Denmark, where the deep geothermal heat industry is more established. This knowledge transfer will be reciprocated by the cross-transfer of detailed geological and hydrological data on fractured limestone lithologies in Ireland, which are of interest as ultra-deep geothermal targets in Denmark and elsewhere in Europe.
PACIFIC
PACIFIC is a research project in the field of mineral exploration. The project aims atdeveloping new exploration techniques that respect the environment and incur relatively low costs. Launched in June 2018, the project has received a funding of €3.2 million from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. It is set to run for 36 months and is coordinated by Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA).
The Geophysics Section at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS): (i) plays a role in the development of new methods for the extraction of reflected waves
(ii) plays a role in the extraction, processing and interpretation of reflected phases from the passive experiment at Marathon
(iii) undertakes full wavefield numerical simulations for testing new methodologies in body wave extraction.
The European Network of Observatories and Research Infrastructures for Volcanology (EUROVOLC) is a H2020 Research and Innovation Project of the European Commission. It will construct an integrated and harmonized European volcanological community able to fully support, exploit and build-upon existing and emerging national and pan-European research infrastructures, including e-Infrastructures of the European Supersite volcanoes. The harmonization includes linking scientists and stakeholders and connecting still isolated volcanological infrastructures located at in situ volcano observatories (VO) and volcanological research institutions (VRIs). For more information please click here.
DIAS is a full partner of the EUROVOLC project.
SEA-SEIS
During Autumn 2018, the SEA-SEIS (Structure, Evolution And Seismicity of the Irish offshore) project recently deployed 18 Ocean Bottom Seismometers in the North Atlantic. Led by Prof. Sergei Lebedev, his research group intend to build cutting edge tomographic images of the geology beneath the North Atlantic to gain a better understanding of the geological structure and its evolution. For more info www.sea-seis.ie
Location of the deployed Ocean bottom Seismometers across the North Atlantic.Deployment of an Ocean Bottom Seismometer.
iMARL
iMARL the “Insitu Marine Laboratory for Geosystems Research” is a network of various types of ocean floor located sensors, hosted by DIAS Geophysics. It comprises broadband Ocean Bottom Seismographs (OBS), broadband acoustic sensors, and sensors for measuring absolute water pressure & temperature at the ocean floor. A system capable of detecting tsunamis also forms part of the infrastructure. The sensor pool is largely mobile and can, in principle, be deployed around the world. However the current focus is on the NE Atlantic, offshore Ireland. One instrument will be fixed and will ultimately become a real-time sensing offshore element of the Irish National Seismic Network (www.insn.ie). Through an award to the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) the iMARL infrastructure is funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) with support from the Geological Survey, Ireland. For more info www.imarl.ie
iMARL launch, April 2018, launched new National Infrastructure that will provide direct long term observations of the interaction between the ocean and solid Earth
Magnetotelluric (MT) fieldwork on Sao Miguel, Azores (Portugal)
During September 2018, the electromagnetic group of DIAS Geophysics completed a large scale field campaign on Fogo Volcano and Furnas Volcano on Sao Miguel to investigate the geo-electrical structure beneath both volcanic systems as a way of understanding their formation and current processes and also assessing the geothermal potential of the island. This international project led by DIAS Geophysics collaborated with the University of Azores, University of Frankfurt and University of Lisbon.
An innovative, real-time monitoring system for Hekla Volcano in Iceland was installed by DIAS Geophysics in 2018 with the Iceland Met Office (IMO) as the local key partner. Hekla is one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in Iceland and currently erupts about every 10 years. The next Hekla eruption is considered overdue and could be hazardous to air travel.
Hekla is seismically surprisingly quiet, resulting so far in a dangerously short pre-eruption warning time of only around one hour. The extreme weather environment has been a barrier to year-round real-time measurements, here we have developed a new cabled system concept to year-round real-time monitoring. This will lower the detection threshold of seismic events significantly. The result will be a better scientific understanding of the processes driving the evolution of pre-eruptive seismicity at Hekla and a substantial improvement in early warning capability.
The HERSK project is lead by Martin Möllhoff in collaboration with Chris Bean and has been awarded internationally peer reviewed Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) funding.
Map of main volcanic centres on Iceland.Site installation on Hekla
Integrated geophysical and geological study of the Porcupine Basin
Researchers at DIAS Geophysics Section currently focuses on the evolution of the Porcupine Seabight and Rockall Plateau in the Irish Atlantic offshore The researchers use geophysical (wide angle and multichannel seismic data, magnetics, gravity) and geological (borehole) data to image rocks below the seafloor (second image below) and understand how these areas formed through geological time. This includes looking at the petrological nature of the crust and uppermost mantle, the sedimentation patterns of offshore basins and the distribution of volcanism in the Irish offshore. This research helps evaluate hydrocarbon potential in the region and hence contributes to the future energy security and economic well-being of Ireland.
The topography of the seafloor and illustrates how far the territory of Ireland extends into the North Atlantic Ocean (marked by red polygon). The names correspond to geological features, such as extinct volcanoes and basins. Source: Marine Institute.
NW–SE seismic line through wells 26/28-1 and 26/28-1 penetrating the Connemara hydrocarbon discovery in a tilted fault block and showing the sedimentary structure (image of rocks below the seafloor) of the Porcupine Seabight interpreted on the 3D seismic data. Source: D.W. Jones & J.R. Underhill (2011). Structural and stratigraphic evolution of the Connemara discovery, Northern Porcupine Basin: significance for basin development and petroleum prospectivity along the Irish Atlantic Margin. Petroleum Geoscience, vol. 17, pp. 365-384.
IGUANA: Investigating Geophysical Unrest At Sierra Negra
Sierra Negra volcano is one of the most active volcanoes on the Galapagos Islands, approximately 1,000 km west of continental Ecuador. The Galapagos Islands are the manifestation of a mantle hot spot under the eastward-moving Nazca plate. Active volcanism is concentrated on the island of Isabela, where Sierra Negra volcano is located. Since March 2017, an increase of seismicity was recorded at one of the permanent seismic stations in the network of IGEPN in Ecuador. The increase ended on the 26th June 2018 when the volcano erupted. This sequence of events was recorded by the local network of 14 broadband seismic stations that we installed as part of the IGUANA project. Three stations are located inside the caldera to record near-field effects of the seismic waves, the other stations are located around the caldera.
The main aims of the project are:
to investigate the triggering response to dynamic stress perturbations
to provide a high-resolution spatio-temporal distribution of volcano-tectonic events
to determine what mechanisms caused the tremor observed preceding the eruption
Transporting a seismic station across the caldera of Sierra Negra.
Ocean and Tidal Modelling
Oceans play an important role in the Earth system. At DIAS Geophysics, ongoing research focuses on wind and buoyancy driven circulations as well as tidally driven circulations within our oceans. Collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) Swarm satellite mission is investigating the magnetic signatures of the ocean circulation systems. The motivation is that the ocean-induced magnetic field may provide a greater understanding of ocean circulations.
A snapshot of the ocean surface elevations (in metres) generated by the tidal force
G.O.THERM.3D: a 3D atlas of temperature in Ireland’s subsurface
With the backdrop of climate change and Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuels, the need to exploit Ireland’s potential for secure, reliable and diverse indigenous renewable energy supply is immediate. The contribution of geothermal energy to the required energy transformation of Ireland has fallen behind targets and is far from realising its full potential. The G.O.THERM.3D project at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies proposes a novel approach to quantify and map temperature in Ireland’s crust in an integrated approach that simultaneously accounts for multiple geophysical and petrological datasets, where key rock properties are thermodynamically computed based on the temperature and bulk rock composition. Based on this integrative approach a new 3D temperature atlas for Ireland’s crust will be built with the aim of making it publicly available on an interactive online platform. It is envisaged that an interactive 3D temperature model would increase public awareness of geothermal energy, focus and encourage geothermal resource exploration and assist in the development of public policy on geothermal energy exploration, mapping, planning and exploitation.
Ireland uncovered: the hidden thermal anomalies beneath the surface we tread. Models of subsurface temperature can identify regions that contain high potential for geothermal energy. Granites buried beneath the surface produce large quantities of heat, which could be harnessed to reduce Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuels.
"It shows us that even in a place where we think nothing is going on, the world is a dynamic place" - Prof Chris Bean's interview with @RTEBrainstorm on Ireland's recent earthquakes and our unique position for seismic research @DIAS_Dublin#DIASdiscoversdias.ie/FwO4s
The EM group continue its collaboration with the University of Alberta in completing a magnetotelluric profile across the Peruvian Andes. The photo below is along the route to one of our stations. @DIAS_Dublin#DIASdiscovers
Fixed OBS topside satellite and acoustic equipment attached to M6 weather buoy leaving on the Celtic Explorer on 24th May 2019. Bon voyage! @MarineInst@GeolSurvIE#iMARL#DIASdiscovers
Does your school have a seismometer? Read about DIAS and Seismology in Schools program in the Teachers Union of Ireland newsletter! #NextGeneration#DIASdiscovers
Buoy M6 was deployed today (28 May, 10.45am) 400km west of Galway on the edge of the Rockall Trough. Fixed OBS topside satellite and acoustic equipment attached to this weather buoy! Just waiting for the OBS to be deployed in the next few months! @MarineInst#iMARL#DIASdiscovers
Dr. Martin Möllhoff, Director of Seismic Networks, spoke to OceanFM about the event in Donegal yesterday. Hear his interview here: tinyurl.com/y5gxelj6
For details on the seismic event, see insn.ie , which is operated by DIAS with support from @GeolSurvIE
Recent Research Activities
GEO-URBAN
http://www.geothermica.eu/projects/geo-urban/
The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is an important issue facing society at present. Appropriately designed, district-scale geothermal heating systems can satisfy society’s “energy trilemma”, by providing a secure energy supply that is economical and environmentally sustainable. The ability to use geothermal resources to generate heat in urban areas where the demand is greatest has the potential to significantly reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and to support national and EU sustainable energy policies. Potential deep geothermal resources in challenging, lower-enthalpy EU settings remain poorly understood and largely untapped.
The GEO-URBAN project aims to explore the potential for low enthalpy geothermal energy in urban environments. The project will focus on two target locations – Dublin, Ireland and Vallès, Catalonia, Spain – and will provide a feasibility analysis for the commercial development of deep geothermal resources in these regions.
GEO-URBAN will evaluate novel geophysical exploration and modelling techniques for urban areas, which will be applied at both test locations. Geophysical data collected during GEO-URBAN will feed into a commercialisation strategy for the exploitation of deep geothermal resources in challenging urban environments, which will draw upon existing knowledge and experience from partners in Denmark, where the deep geothermal heat industry is more established. This knowledge transfer will be reciprocated by the cross-transfer of detailed geological and hydrological data on fractured limestone lithologies in Ireland, which are of interest as ultra-deep geothermal targets in Denmark and elsewhere in Europe.
PACIFIC
PACIFIC is a research project in the field of mineral exploration. The project aims at developing new exploration techniques that respect the environment and incur relatively low costs. Launched in June 2018, the project has received a funding of €3.2 million from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. It is set to run for 36 months and is coordinated by Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA).
The Geophysics Section at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS): (i) plays a role in the development of new methods for the extraction of reflected waves
(ii) plays a role in the extraction, processing and interpretation of reflected phases from the passive experiment at Marathon
(iii) undertakes full wavefield numerical simulations for testing new methodologies in body wave extraction.
For more infomation go to https://www.pacific-h2020.eu/
EuroVolc
The European Network of Observatories and Research Infrastructures for Volcanology (EUROVOLC) is a H2020 Research and Innovation Project of the European Commission. It will construct an integrated and harmonized European volcanological community able to fully support, exploit and build-upon existing and emerging national and pan-European research infrastructures, including e-Infrastructures of the European Supersite volcanoes. The harmonization includes linking scientists and stakeholders and connecting still isolated volcanological infrastructures located at in situ volcano observatories (VO) and volcanological research institutions (VRIs). For more information please click here.
DIAS is a full partner of the EUROVOLC project.
SEA-SEIS
During Autumn 2018, the SEA-SEIS (Structure, Evolution And Seismicity of the Irish offshore) project recently deployed 18 Ocean Bottom Seismometers in the North Atlantic. Led by Prof. Sergei Lebedev, his research group intend to build cutting edge tomographic images of the geology beneath the North Atlantic to gain a better understanding of the geological structure and its evolution. For more info www.sea-seis.ie
iMARL
iMARL the “Insitu Marine Laboratory for Geosystems Research” is a network of various types of ocean floor located sensors, hosted by DIAS Geophysics. It comprises broadband Ocean Bottom Seismographs (OBS), broadband acoustic sensors, and sensors for measuring absolute water pressure & temperature at the ocean floor. A system capable of detecting tsunamis also forms part of the infrastructure. The sensor pool is largely mobile and can, in principle, be deployed around the world. However the current focus is on the NE Atlantic, offshore Ireland. One instrument will be fixed and will ultimately become a real-time sensing offshore element of the Irish National Seismic Network (www.insn.ie). Through an award to the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) the iMARL infrastructure is funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) with support from the Geological Survey, Ireland. For more info www.imarl.ie
Magnetotelluric (MT) fieldwork on Sao Miguel, Azores (Portugal)
During September 2018, the electromagnetic group of DIAS Geophysics completed a large scale field campaign on Fogo Volcano and Furnas Volcano on Sao Miguel to investigate the geo-electrical structure beneath both volcanic systems as a way of understanding their formation and current processes and also assessing the geothermal potential of the island.
This international project led by DIAS Geophysics collaborated with the University of Azores, University of Frankfurt and University of Lisbon.
Contact: chogg-at-cp.dias.ie and duygu-at-cp.dias.ie
HERSK (HEkla Real-time Seismic monitoring networK)
An innovative, real-time monitoring system for Hekla Volcano in Iceland was installed by DIAS Geophysics in 2018 with the Iceland Met Office (IMO) as the local key partner. Hekla is one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in Iceland and currently erupts about every 10 years. The next Hekla eruption is considered overdue and could be hazardous to air travel.
Hekla is seismically surprisingly quiet, resulting so far in a dangerously short pre-eruption warning time of only around one hour. The extreme weather environment has been a barrier to year-round real-time measurements, here we have developed a new cabled system concept to year-round real-time monitoring. This will lower the detection threshold of seismic events significantly. The result will be a better scientific understanding of the processes driving the evolution of pre-eruptive seismicity at Hekla and a substantial improvement in early warning capability.
The HERSK project is lead by Martin Möllhoff in collaboration with Chris Bean and has been awarded internationally peer reviewed Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) funding.
A poster about the HERSK project can be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.27536.25600
Contact: martin-at-dias.ie
Integrated geophysical and geological study of the Porcupine Basin
Researchers at DIAS Geophysics Section currently focuses on the evolution of the Porcupine Seabight and Rockall Plateau in the Irish Atlantic offshore The researchers use geophysical (wide angle and multichannel seismic data, magnetics, gravity) and geological (borehole) data to image rocks below the seafloor (second image below) and understand how these areas formed through geological time. This includes looking at the petrological nature of the crust and uppermost mantle, the sedimentation patterns of offshore basins and the distribution of volcanism in the Irish offshore. This research helps evaluate hydrocarbon potential in the region and hence contributes to the future energy security and economic well-being of Ireland.
The topography of the seafloor and illustrates how far the territory of Ireland extends into the North Atlantic Ocean (marked by red polygon). The names correspond to geological features, such as extinct volcanoes and basins. Source: Marine Institute.
NW–SE seismic line through wells 26/28-1 and 26/28-1 penetrating the Connemara hydrocarbon discovery in a tilted fault block and showing the sedimentary structure (image of rocks below the seafloor) of the Porcupine Seabight interpreted on the 3D seismic data.
Source: D.W. Jones & J.R. Underhill (2011). Structural and stratigraphic evolution of the Connemara discovery, Northern Porcupine Basin: significance for basin development and petroleum prospectivity along the Irish Atlantic Margin. Petroleum Geoscience, vol. 17, pp. 365-384.
IGUANA: Investigating Geophysical Unrest At Sierra Negra
Sierra Negra volcano is one of the most active volcanoes on the Galapagos Islands, approximately 1,000 km west of continental Ecuador. The Galapagos Islands are the manifestation of a mantle hot spot under the eastward-moving Nazca plate. Active volcanism is concentrated on the island of Isabela, where Sierra Negra volcano is located. Since March 2017, an increase of seismicity was recorded at one of the permanent seismic stations in the network of IGEPN in Ecuador. The increase ended on the 26th June 2018 when the volcano erupted. This sequence of events was recorded by the local network of 14 broadband seismic stations that we installed as part of the IGUANA project. Three stations are located inside the caldera to record near-field effects of the seismic waves, the other stations are located around the caldera.
The main aims of the project are:
The project is funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and is a collaboration between the School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS), the Instituto Geofisico at the Escuela Politecnica Nacional (IGEPN) in Quito, Ecuador, and the Galapagos National Park.
Contact: martin-at-dias.ie
Ocean and Tidal Modelling
Oceans play an important role in the Earth system. At DIAS Geophysics, ongoing research focuses on wind and buoyancy driven circulations as well as tidally driven circulations within our oceans. Collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) Swarm satellite mission is investigating the magnetic signatures of the ocean circulation systems. The motivation is that the ocean-induced magnetic field may provide a greater understanding of ocean circulations.
G.O.THERM.3D: a 3D atlas of temperature in Ireland’s subsurface
With the backdrop of climate change and Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuels, the need to exploit Ireland’s potential for secure, reliable and diverse indigenous renewable energy supply is immediate. The contribution of geothermal energy to the required energy transformation of Ireland has fallen behind targets and is far from realising its full potential. The G.O.THERM.3D project at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies proposes a novel approach to quantify and map temperature in Ireland’s crust in an integrated approach that simultaneously accounts for multiple geophysical and petrological datasets, where key rock properties are thermodynamically computed based on the temperature and bulk rock composition. Based on this integrative approach a new 3D temperature atlas for Ireland’s crust will be built with the aim of making it publicly available on an interactive online platform. It is envisaged that an interactive 3D temperature model would increase public awareness of geothermal energy, focus and encourage geothermal resource exploration and assist in the development of public policy on geothermal energy exploration, mapping, planning and exploitation.
Geophysics
35 years ago today DIAS seismologists recorded one of the largest earthquakes ever felt in Ireland @DIAS_Dublin #DIASdiscovers twitter.com/RTEArchives/st…
"It shows us that even in a place where we think nothing is going on, the world is a dynamic place" - Prof Chris Bean's interview with @RTEBrainstorm on Ireland's recent earthquakes and our unique position for seismic research @DIAS_Dublin #DIASdiscovers dias.ie/FwO4s
Prof. Chris Bean explains how the @DIAS_Dublin team is pushing boundaries with innovative new methods as part of the iMARL project supported by @scienceirel and @GeolSurvIE in this special issue of ECO Magazine #DIASdiscovers dias.ie/iTr36
Anton Vetrov from @PhoenixGeoLTD is @DIASDunsink today showcasing their new magnetotelluric equipment to @dias_geophysics and collaborators. @DIAS_Dublin #DIASdiscovers
M1.7 earthquake on 18th June 20:53:12 local time in the Irish Sea off Holyhead. Confirmed by INSN operated @DIAS_Dublin in co-operation with @GeolSurvIE. Details at tinyurl.com/yxknwhzr @k_verbruggen #DIASdiscovers
Tales from the high seas! Here’s a blog from Raffaele Bonadio, PhD student, about his experiences on the SEA-SEIS project. blogs.egu.eu/geolog/2019/06… @DIAS_Dublin #DIASdiscovers
The EM group continue its collaboration with the University of Alberta in completing a magnetotelluric profile across the Peruvian Andes. The photo below is along the route to one of our stations. @DIAS_Dublin #DIASdiscovers
Fixed OBS topside satellite and acoustic equipment attached to M6 weather buoy leaving on the Celtic Explorer on 24th May 2019. Bon voyage! @MarineInst @GeolSurvIE #iMARL #DIASdiscovers
Does your school have a seismometer? Read about DIAS and Seismology in Schools program in the Teachers Union of Ireland newsletter! #NextGeneration #DIASdiscovers
Buoy M6 was deployed today (28 May, 10.45am) 400km west of Galway on the edge of the Rockall Trough. Fixed OBS topside satellite and acoustic equipment attached to this weather buoy! Just waiting for the OBS to be deployed in the next few months! @MarineInst #iMARL #DIASdiscovers
Great to see Sergei Lebedev, Assistant Professor of Seismology at @dias_geophysics having his co-authored paper published in @NatureGeosci today! You can read the paper at: bit.ly/2Jqxoz2 @iCRAGcentre @scienceirel
Excellent work by @TellusGSI. twitter.com/TellusGSI/stat…
Magnetotelluric survey in County Limerick. Using high quality instrumentation by @PhoenixGeoLTD
An interview on RTE Radio 1 about yesterdays Donegal earthquake can be accessed here tinyurl.com/yytb3odw @DIAS_Dublin @GeolSurvIE
@magicbathtub
M2.1 quake on 29th April 21:18:23 in south Donegal. Confirmed by Irish National Seismic Network operated @DIAS_Dublin in co-operation with @GeolSurvIE. Details tinyurl.com/y4bewx3h @k_verbruggen @rtenews @IrishTimes @Independent_ie @highlandradio @OceanFmIreland @dgldemocrat
Correction: Successful candidates will be notified by email by mid May!
Summer Internship within DIAS Geophysics studying Earthquakes, Volcano imaging and Marine Seismology. Closing date is May 3rd. Please share.
You can listen to Dr. Martin Möllhoffs recent interview on RTÉ Radio 1 here bit.ly/2uSHwYf discussing the seismic event in Donegal.
Dr. Martin Möllhoff, Director of Seismic Networks, spoke to OceanFM about the event in Donegal yesterday. Hear his interview here: tinyurl.com/y5gxelj6 For details on the seismic event, see insn.ie , which is operated by DIAS with support from @GeolSurvIE