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Open research questions in Geothermal Energy Systems and Applications

138 gap statements mined from Geothermal Energy Systems and Applications papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 1,467 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • Previous assessments in Chinese sedimentary basins predominantly employed simplified volumetric methods that cannot capture transient system behavior. The scarcity of systematic dynamic monitoring data is a major gap in previous studies. The study addresses this gap by exploiting relatively abundant dynamic monitoring records in the study area.

    Fault-Controlled Permeability Anisotropy and Sustainable Exploitation of Typical Medium-Low Temperature Sedimentary Basin-Type Geothermal Reservoir in Tianjin, Dongli Lake, China · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for more detailed studies on geothermal energy in Nigeria. The lack of information on the geothermal prospect of northern Benue. The need for alternative renewable energy resources to contribute to Nigeria's energy mix.

    Geothermal prospect evaluation of northern Benue tough, northeastern Nigeria, from high resolution airborne magnetic data · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research is needed to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the temperature exploration holes. The development of more advanced technologies for spontaneous combustion prevention and control is necessary. Investigation of the long-term effects of the proposed multi-process joint governance technology is required.

    Analysis and Practice of High-Temperature Control Schemes for Coal Mine Spoil Dumps · 2026 · DOI

  • Indeed, the corresponding risks of failure, as the circulation of the deep brines still remains poorly known and understood in fractured environment.

    Updated evaluation of the potential resources of geothermal lithium (Li) and rubidium (Rb) in the Upper Rhine Graben (URG) · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the interplay between reservoir pressure, temperature and permeability in controlling deliverable power remains poorly understood.

    Thermo-hydraulic drivers of superhot geothermal well performance · 2026 · DOI

  • The formation mechanism of such geothermal systems in low heat flow settings remains insufficiently constrained.

    Insights into the formation of a low heat flow geothermal system: integrated geochemical and geophysical evidence from Anjiazhuang, China · 2026 · DOI

  • This paper aims to identify which issues and barriers remain to be overcome in order to enable the widespread implementation and use of energy geostructures.

    A survey-based investigation of key challenges in advancing the implementation of energy geostructures · 2026 · DOI

  • When placed within permeable aquifer layers, these systems may benefit from groundwater‑induced convective heat transfer; however, the actual influence of groundwater flow on horizontally installed GHEs remains insufficiently understood.

    Heat transfer performance of HDD‑installed horizontal ground heat exchangers: influence of subsurface stratigraphic structure under low-groundwater-flow conditions · 2026 · DOI

  • However, their long-term performance under climate change and practical integration with air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) remains insufficiently understood.

    Climate-resilient operation of hybrid GSHP–ASHP systems: 50-year energy-saving performance under climate change in Tokyo, Japan · 2026 · DOI

  • Geothermal reservoirs involve higher uncertainty due to limited data availability.

    Scenario-based data assimilation framework to improve production estimates for geologically complex geothermal reservoirs · 2026 · DOI

  • Although modelling of DBHEs has advanced in recent years, the effect of uncertainty in geological properties has not been widely explored, particularly when the borehole penetrates diverse rock strata.

    Polynomial chaos-based uncertainty quantification of the performance of a closed loop deep geothermal borehole · 2025 · DOI

  • A numerical reservoir model simulated shallow subsurface thermal conditions, allowing contour maps adjustments in areas with limited data.

    Shallow geothermal subsurface temperature contour mapping aided by numerical reservoir modelling; Taupō, New Zealand · 2025 · DOI

  • However, MCPs remain underexplored compared to analogous formations in Belgium and the Netherlands, largely due to limited understanding of fracture-controlled fluid flow in these low-porosity carbonate systems.

    Multi-scale fault and fracture networks of the UK’s Mississippian carbonate platforms: implications for extracting geothermal energy · 2025 · DOI

  • Naphthalene disulfonates, particularly 1,5-naphthalene disulfonate (1,5-NDS), are widely used as geothermal tracers, yet their behaviour under extreme thermal and flow conditions remains insufficiently understood.

    Evaluating naphthol and naphthalene as novel geothermal tracers, with potential application in supercritical systems · 2025 · DOI

  • However, traditional numerical methods are limited by the inadequacies of soil constitutive models, and machine learning approaches typically require large datasets and lack interpretability.

    Interpretable Ensemble Prediction of Thermally Induced Long-Term Pile Settlement from Limited Monitoring Data · 2025 · DOI

  • However, the permeability enhancement mechanism and optimal pH remain unexplored.

    Maximizing permeability of fractured volcanic rocks through chelating-agent-assisted and pH-controlled selective mineral dissolution · 2024 · DOI

  • The neglect of interfacial thermal resistance may lead to an overestimation of heat flux density, which further influences the temperature distribution obtained from the model. The assumption of homogeneous and isotropic materials with constant physical properties may not accurately represent the real-world scenario.

    Parametric Study Towards the Optimal Design of Capillary Heat Exchangers for Metro Shield Energy Tunnels · 2026 · DOI

  • The thermal contact resistance between adjacent materials was neglected. All materials in the tunnel were treated as homogeneous and isotropic with constant physical properties. The tunnel air inlet temperature and velocity remained constant during subway operation.

    Parametric Study Towards the Optimal Design of Capillary Heat Exchangers for Metro Shield Energy Tunnels · 2026 · DOI

  • Additionally, it incorporates a Life Cycle Assessment to evaluate environmental impacts, an aspect rarely explored in African geothermal studies.

    Predictive model for sustainable exploitation of geothermal resources in Africa: The case of Olkaria geothermal field · 2025 · DOI

  • Further evaluation of the temperature increase impact within an integrated BTES-heat pump or heating system analysis, - Validation of the model against field…

    Impact of Flow Direction in Borehole Heat Exchangers on Heat Recovery Efficiency in BTES Systems: A Multi-Year Simulation Study · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigating the interactions among predictive modeling, control, and optimization in hybrid and networked energy systems - Examining the role of optimization in GSHP operation as an integrated decision-making process - Developing faster and more adaptive predictive models for GSHP…

    Data-Driven Operational Control of Ground Source Heat Pump Systems: An Integrated Review of Modeling, Control, Optimization, and Energy System Integration · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies on the geothermal potential of the study area, - Investigation of the relationship between lineaments and geothermal gradient and heat…

    Geothermal prospect evaluation of northern Benue tough, northeastern Nigeria, from high resolution airborne magnetic data · 2026 · DOI

  • The study uses a small sample of monitoring data from an existing EAHE, - The numerical model is validated with a limited dataset, - The study does not consider the effects of climate change on the EAHE…

    Investigating the Use of Large-Diameter Earth–Air Heat Exchangers to Achieve Office Building Cooling Self-Sufficiency · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigating the effects of climate change on the EAHE performance, - Studying the optimization of EAHE design parameters for different climates and building types, - Developing more advanced numerical models to simulate the coupled heat and moisture transfer…

    Investigating the Use of Large-Diameter Earth–Air Heat Exchangers to Achieve Office Building Cooling Self-Sufficiency · 2026 · DOI

  • Further development of the numerical model, - Analysis of production scenarios, - Investigation of other geothermal…

    Fault-Controlled Permeability Anisotropy and Sustainable Exploitation of Typical Medium-Low Temperature Sedimentary Basin-Type Geothermal Reservoir in Tianjin, Dongli Lake, China · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Geothermal Energy Systems and Applications

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The lack of information on the geothermal prospect of northern Benue (“Geothermal prospect evaluation of northern Benue tough, northeastern Nigeria,…”, 2026); (2) Further research is needed to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the temperature exploration holes (“Analysis and Practice of High-Temperature Control Schemes for Coal Mine Spoil…”, 2026); (3) The interplay between reservoir pressure, temperature and permeability in controlling deliverable power remains poorly understood (“Thermo-hydraulic drivers of superhot geothermal well performance”, 2026); (4) When placed within permeable aquifer layers, these systems may benefit from groundwater‑induced convective heat transfer; however, the actual influence of groundwater flow on horizontally installed GHEs remains insufficiently understood (“Heat transfer performance of HDD‑installed horizontal ground heat exchangers:…”, 2026); (5) Their long-term performance under climate change and practical integration with air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) remains insufficiently understood (“Climate-resilient operation of hybrid GSHP–ASHP systems: 50-year energy-saving…”, 2026). 138 gap statements have been mined from Geothermal Energy Systems and Applications papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 1,467 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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