What is Geothermal Engineering? Cornwall case study #Geothermal #Renewables #Seismic #Cornwall #Geology #Drilling #Science #STEM #Energy @Profiainstewart @GELtd @uniteddownsgeo Harnessing geothermal energy from the hot rocks beneath Cornwall depends on circulating water through networks of natural fractures. The best fracture zones are found along ancient fault lines, such as the Porthtowan Fault Zone which is the target for the UDDGP project. One potential cause of public concern with geothermal energy is the possibility of triggering small earthquakes. This animation explains natural and induced seismicity. Cornwall is in a stable tectonic region so it doesn't get large earthquakes, but it does sometimes get small ones. About 600 have been recorded since monitoring began in the early 1980s, the largest of them being a magnitude 3.8 near Penzance in 1996. In August 2019, there was a magnitude 2.3 event near Helston. Although it was quite widely felt and heard, it was still a very small earthquake. The risk of damage or injury from Cornwall's seismicity is extremely low. Induced seismic events are the same as natural ones except that the trigger for the movement is human activity rather than a gradual build-up of geological pressure over time. In the case of geothermal projects, this can be caused by water pressure helping to unstick the rock along faults or small fractures. Follow the UDDGP project on Twitter @uniteddownsgeo Facebook uniteddownsgeothermal or Geothermal Engineering Twitter @GELtd Subscribe to Geothermal Engineering Ltd YouTube channel

Find out why Cornwall is such a good resource for geothermal energy, look at the geology and the history of the rocks. The concept of the UDDGP project differs from previous EGS systems as it targets a fault structure and aims to intersect it to produce heat.

This animation made by Studio Wallop is aimed at students in Key Stage 2, it looks at the environment, global warming and renewable energies. Follow Miss Molecule (a H2O water molecule) through the geothermal system at the United Downs Deep Geothermal Power project to learn how it works!