Ernst Huenges

Leslie A Jakobs

Olaf Kolditz

Thomas Kohl

Geothermal Energy

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Kolditz et al. Geothermal Energy 2013, 1:1
www.geothermal-energy-journal.com/content/1/1/1EDITORIAL Open AccessGeothermal Energy: a glimpse at the state of the
field and an introduction to the journal
Olaf Kolditz1,2*, Leslie A Jakobs1, Ernst Huenges3 and Thomas Kohl4* Correspondence: olaf.kolditz@ufz.de
1Helmholtz Centre for
Environmental Research (UFZ),
Leipzig, Germany
2TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
Full list of author information is
available at the end of the article©
A
mEditorial
We enthusiastically present to you this new journal dedicated solely to the growing
field of geothermal energy and the many aspects and issues surrounding it. Geothermal
Energy is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by SpringerOpen, providing a
forum for geothermal research and investigating the opportunities and challenges of
geothermal resources in both deep and shallow systems. A holistic view into geothermal
energy in combination with the open-access concept makes this journal unique as new
knowledge is provided efficiently and without barriers from and to the scientific
community.
Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011, the discussion around future
energy resources and supply has permeated all levels of society. A new energy
paradigm is evolving, in which renewable resources are increasingly gaining attention
in science, technology, economics, safety, and public acceptance. Geothermal energy is
a promising alternative energy source as it is suited for baseload energy supply, can
replace fossil fuel power generation, can be combined with other renewable energy
sources such as solar thermal energy, and can stimulate the regional economy. While
disturbance of the land surface is small in the procuration of geothermal energy,
questions remain as to the impact of subsurface activities on the greater region. To
bring geothermal energy to a level in which it can be truly integrated into a nation’s
energy palette, more research is necessary in the fields of geotechnical engineering,
natural sciences, and socioeconomics.
For the safe, long-term operation of deep geothermal systems, we require a better
understanding on the functioning of the geological subsurface and its changing
thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, and biogeochemical conditions. Access to geothermal
reservoirs by drilling remains costly and associated with high exploration risks.
Hydraulic stimulation is often necessary, turning deep subsurface reservoirs into
efficient heat exchangers, i.e., enhanced or engineered geothermal systems (EGS). Even
though several geothermal research projects have been conducted or are underway
and power plants are in operation, the understanding we have about EGS is still based
on the lessons learned from a few long-term sites.
Shallow geothermal systems have long been the focus of engineering development.
In Germany alone, about half a million heat pumps have been installed. Current
research on shallow systems focuses on optimization and environmental impacts. For
example, geothermal heat pumps are normally installed without detailed knowledge of2013 Kolditz et al.; licensee Springer. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
ttribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any
edium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Kolditz et al. Geothermal Energy 2013, 1:1 Page 2 of 2
www.geothermal-energy-journal.com/content/1/1/1the subsurface structure. Development of and access to this data would greatly improve
the efficiency and productivity of shallow geothermal systems. Another example shows
that for several years, temperature increases due to increasing urbanization processes
in the shallow subsurface of cities have been observed. Therefore, long-term effects to
microbial behavior need to be studied in more detail because ecosystem functions are
very sensitive to temperature changes as a consequence of large-scale geothermal use
of the subsurface.
Geothermal Energy focuses on fundamental and applied research needed to deploy
technologies to develop and integrate geothermal energy as one key element in the
future energy portfolio. Contributions to the journal include geological, geophysical,
and geochemical studies; exploration of geothermal fields; reservoir characterization
and modelling; development of productivity-enhancing methods; and approaches to
achieve robust and economic plant operation. Geothermal Energy serves to examine the
interaction of individual system components while taking the whole process into account,
from the development of the reservoir to the economic provision of geothermal energy.
The editorial board of Geothermal Energy brings a broad base of expertise and a
guarantee of high standards to the journal. Its members are located around the world -
Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America - ensuring a balanced
voice and world view. We would like to acknowledge the following members for their
voluntary support: Hiroshi Asanuma, Tohoku University, Japan; Chris Bromley, GNS
Science, New Zealand; Nicholas Davatzes, Temple University, USA; Christopher
McDermott, University of Edinburgh, Scotland; Diego Morata, University of Chile,
Chile; Zhonghe Pang, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China; Chan-Hee Park, Korean
Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Korea; Bernard Sanjuan, Bureau de
Recherches Géologiques et Minières, France; Joshua Taron, United States Geological
Survey, USA; Meseret Zemedkun, United Nations Environment Programme, Kenya.
Manuscripts submitted to Geothermal Energy undergo a single-blind, peer review
process streamlined to reduce time in the editors’ hands and expedite a manuscript’s path
to publication. Open-access articles are free for viewing and downloading, meaning
higher visibility for all accepted articles and greater exposure for authors.
Finally, we must acknowledge the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research,
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam German Research
Centre for Geosciences. Their funding has made possible not only the launch of the
journal but also the initial waiver of the article-processing charge, enabling all authors to
submit their articles free of charge until December 31, 2015.
Author details
1Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany. 2TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany. 3Helmholtz
Centre Potsdam German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), Potsdam, Germany. 4Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
(KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany.
Received: 28 March 2013 Accepted: 8 April 2013
Published: 28 May 2013
doi:10.1186/2195-9706-1-1
Cite this article as: Kolditz et al.: Geothermal Energy: a glimpse at the state of the field and an introduction to the
journal. Geothermal Energy 2013 1:1.


Geothermal Energy: a glimpse at the state of the field and an introduction to the journal

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Geothermal Energy: a glimpse at the state of the field and an introduction to the journal

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