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Groundwater temperature is a useful hydrogeological parameter that is easy to measure and can provide much insight into groundwater flow systems, but can be difficult to interpret. For measuring temperature directly in the ground, dedicated specifically designed monitoring wells are recommended since conventional groundwater wells are not optimal for temperature monitoring. Multilevel monitoring of groundwater temperature is required to identify contributions of different possible heat inputs (sources) on measured temperature signals. Interpreting temperature data as a cosine function, including period, average temperature, amplitude, and phase offset, is helpful. Amplitude dampening and increasing phase shift with distance from a boundary can be used for estimation of transport parameters. Temperature measurements at different depths can be used for evaluation of unknown parameters of analytical functions by optimization of regression fits in Python. These estimated parameters can be used to calculate temperatures at known water table depths which can be applied as a fixed transient boundary condition in MT3DMS to overcome the limitations of MT3DMS heat transport modeling in the unsaturated zone. In this study, temperature monitoring and modeling was used to evaluate the influence of a department store's heated basement foundation on groundwater temperature within a green space (city park), with the main outcome that 17 years after construction, the department store foundation has increased the mean groundwater temperature by 3.2 °C. Heat input evaluated by the MT3DMS model varied from 0.1 W/m2 at a distance of 100 m up to 12 W/m2 next to the building.

The study proposes a methodology for the construction of a thematic map of the suitability of the Quaternary shallow alluvial sediments for heat pumps. This map was compiled on the basis of the minimum groundwater temperature, specific capacity of a well, the aquifer thickness, the groundwater temperature range (amplitude), and ranking of the months according to the lowest groundwater temperature. A second methodology allows the creation of a thematic map of the groundwater energy potential. This map is based on two criteria: 1. the specific capacity (l s−1 m−1) of the borehole and 2. the temperature change due to the consumption of heat energy. The calculated energy in kW was classified into one of seven usability categories. The highest rated categories in both maps coincided with areas with the largest sediment volumes (the widest alluvia and the highest sediment thickness) coinciding with the highest river flows. Suitability decreases considerably at higher elevations (mountainous) river catchments with a small volume of sediment as characterized by narrow valleys and low sediment thicknesses. There is a logical link between these factors in relation to the potential for heat pumps exploitation.

We employed integrated methods to assess the landslide movement in Sv. Anton town in the Western Carpathians Neogene Volcanic Field (Central Slovakia). The integrated diagnostics required s...