16 Annual science review In south Wales, the Coal Authority reports that at least 3000 litres per second drain from abandoned coal workings. We found that water issuing from mines was warmer than predicted and thus it offered a potential for heat recovery. Combined with information on the volumes of water leaving the mines, we were able to estimate that there was potential to recover enough heat to supply thousands of homes. Our work illustrates that there is considerable potential for the recovery of heat from abandoned mine waters across the South Wales coalfield. We hope to build on successful partnerships with both academic and commercial partners to further support this emerging technology in South Wales. Cardiff superficial 3D model As part of our project to examine the potential of a geothermal heat source beneath Cardiff (see above) associated with shallow urban groundwater, we developed a 3D model of the superficial geological deposits, allowing us to estimate their thickness, volume and distribution. Using the existing 196 boreholes drilled in central Cardiff for groundwater-monitoring purposes, we used the water-temperature data to create a groundwater heat map of the Cardiff area. A series of 142 cross-sections has been constructed, to form a fence diagram using the Geological Surveying and Investigation in 3D (GSI3D) software package. The sections cover much of the most densely populated areas of the city centre. We also incorporated subsurface data (1269 boreholes) and surface geological mapping to provide an interpretation of the geological succession, utilising our 1:50 000- and 1:10 000-scale geological maps. The model demonstrates the subsurface distribution of the main superficial deposits in Cardiff. These include till, alluvium, tidal-flat deposits and glaciofluvial sheet deposits. The most significant for this project are the glaciofluvial sheet deposits, which were deposited by meltwater streams as a local glacier retreated during the last glaciation. Because of their relatively high porosity, the glaciofluvial sheet deposits are thought to host much of the warm water beneath the city centre. Wales 9 staff 4 Science 8 BGS Cardiff 5 Non-science 1 GENDER FUNCTION @BGSWales
Annual Science Review 2015-2016
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