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Field Scale Experiments and Monitoring of Fractured Rock Aquifers Associated with Geothermal Water

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydrogeology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 March 2025) | Viewed by 1116

Special Issue Editor

1. Fourth Geological Team of Hubei Geological Bureau, Xianning 437100, China
2. Hubei Key Laboratory of Resources and Eco-Environment Geology (Hubei Geological Bureau), Wuhan 430034, China
Interests: geothermal water; origin of geothermal water; hydrochemistry; dry hot rock; monitoring of fractured rock aquifers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Geothermal resources are valuable clean and recyclable renewable resources with great utilization value; they can be widely used in various fields such as power generation, heating, physiotherapy, greenhouse, and aquaculture. In their natural state, geothermal resources have the characteristics of deep burial, slow groundwater recharge, and slow regeneration.

In order to maintain the pressure of thermal storage, avoid the continuous decline in water level caused by long-term, large-scale exploitation of geothermal water, and realize the sustainable utilization of geothermal water, the surface clean water source or used geothermal tail water is reinjected into the thermal reservoir through the recharge well; this can achieve the goals of increasing the mining output of geothermal resources, alleviating the continuous decline in groundwater level, and reducing the environmental pollution caused by direct discharge of geothermal fluid. Thus, it is an effective means to ensure the sustainable development and utilization of geothermal energy.

Although geothermal water reinjection can increase the artificial supply source, can efficiently replenish the consumed groundwater resources, has a role in improving the geothermal mining output, maintains the pressure of heat storage, and alleviates the decline in groundwater level, etc., disorderly and excessive geothermal reinjection may accelerate the emergence of "thermal breakthrough", resulting in irreversible changes in the geothermal field, temperature field, water flow field, and chemical field. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the dynamic monitoring of geothermal water and the study of its dynamic characteristics during reinjection.

This Special Issue is organized into three sections:

Section 1: Origin of Geothermal Water: Studying the origins of geothermal water can elucidate the characteristics of geothermal water recharge, runoff, and discharge, which is very important for the monitoring of geothermal water.

Section 2: Hydrochemical Research: The dynamic monitoring and analysis of the chemical composition of geothermal water are very important to understand the change in the chemical composition of geothermal water.

Section 3: Monitoring of Fractured Rock Aquifers: By monitoring fractured aquifers and strengthening the dynamic monitoring of geothermal water and the study of its dynamic characteristics, the characteristics of the geothermal water temperature field, flow field, and chemical field can be dynamically understood.

Dr. Wei Chen
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • geothermal water
  • origin of geothermal water
  • hydrochemistry
  • dry hot rock
  • monitoring of fractured rock aquifers

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 2387 KiB  
Article
A Preliminary Study on the Eukaryotic Microbial Diversity in Croatian Geothermal Waters
by Maja Mitrović, Andrea Čačković, Lorena Selak, Tamara Marković and Sandi Orlić
Water 2025, 17(4), 541; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17040541 - 13 Feb 2025
Viewed by 787
Abstract
Microbial eukaryotes have essential roles in aquatic ecosystems, yet their diversity and ecological functions in extreme environments remain understudied compared to prokaryotes. This study aims to thoroughly characterize the composition and diversity of microbial eukaryotic communities in 14 geothermal waters across Croatia. Physicochemical [...] Read more.
Microbial eukaryotes have essential roles in aquatic ecosystems, yet their diversity and ecological functions in extreme environments remain understudied compared to prokaryotes. This study aims to thoroughly characterize the composition and diversity of microbial eukaryotic communities in 14 geothermal waters across Croatia. Physicochemical analysis revealed significant variations in temperature (36–55 °C), pH (6.5–8.3), and nutrient concentrations, with all sites displaying anoxic conditions except for one. Sequencing of the V9 18S rRNA gene identified 134 taxa, predominantly from the Alveolata, Stramenopiles, and Opisthokonta supergroups. The highest diversity and richness were observed in aquifer groups with moderate temperatures and nutrient levels, while extreme sites exhibited reduced diversity. Among the key environmental factors shaping these communities, temperature, pH, and nitrate concentrations were most significant. Photoautotrophic and mixotrophic taxa, such as Ochrophyta, Dinoflagellata, and Chlorophyta, were prominent, reflecting their roles in primary production and nutrient cycling. Decomposers, including Basidiomycota and Ascomycota, were linked to organic matter degradation. Microeukaryotes showed adaptations to extreme conditions, such as thermotolerance and evolutionary shifts from phototrophy to heterotrophy, highlighting their ecological versatility. These findings underscore the potential of microbial eukaryotes in biotechnological applications, such as bioremediation and biofuel production. Genera like Tribonema and Navicula demonstrated promising capabilities in nutrient removal and CO2 fixation. However, further research is necessary to investigate and confirm their suitability for these purposes. To summarize, our research provides new insights into understudied microbial eukaryotes in Croatian hot springs that represent a valuable model for exploring microbial diversity, ecological interactions, and industrial applications in extreme environments. Full article
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