Geothermal Research Articles

Investigating the potential of in-situ fluidized mining of previously inaccessible coal seams through the utilization of super hot rock geothermic technology

This study aims to explore a cutting-edge model that combines geothermal energy and coal resource development. Specifically, it focuses on the development model of ultra-deep super-hot rock (SHR) resources and unmineable coal seams through in-situ thermal decomposition technology using supercritical water steam. Through extensive investigation and assessment of technical challenges, we have extensively explored the potential of using supercritical water steam for thermal decomposition of coal seams. We examined the potential benefits in terms of energy conversion efficiency and environmental impact. Despite the significant theoretical prospects of this method, practical application has encountered multiple challenges such as high costs, drilling technology difficulties, and the complexity of reservoir modification technology. The significant investment costs primarily arise from the expenses associated with drilling operations and acquiring equipment. Simultaneously, there are challenges in the realm of technology that require the adaptation of drilling techniques to withstand extreme temperatures and pressures. Additionally, there is a need to explore novel methods for modifying reservoirs in order to sustain fracture openings. In the face of these challenges, this study proposes three main directions for future research and technology development: developing new efficient and environmentally friendly reservoir reconstruction technologies, exploring technologies suitable for low-temperature catalytic reactions in deep coal seams, and improving the accuracy and practicability of microseismic monitoring technologies. With the help of these technological advancements, the aim is to address the existing challenges and drive the integrated progress ultra-deep super hot rock and coal measures towards a more sustainable and economically viable direction. The research results will offer fresh insights and solutions for the realm of deep energy development, playing a crucial role in advancing the progress of sustainable energy technology.

Research progress on environmental behavior of arsenic in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau soil

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with its high altitude and cold climate, is one of the most fragile ecological environments in China and is distinguished by its naturally elevated arsenic (As) levels in the soil, largely due to its rich mineral and geothermal resources. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of As content, focusing on its distribution, environmental migration, and transformation behavior across the plateau. The review further evaluates the distribution of As in different functional areas, revealing that geothermal fields (107.2 mg/kg), mining areas (53.8 mg/kg), and croplands (39.3 mg/kg) have the highest As concentrations, followed by river and lake sediments and adjacent areas (33.1 mg/kg). These elevated levels are primarily attributed to the presence of As-rich minerals, such as arsenopyrite and pyrite. Additionally, human activities, including mining and geothermal energy production, exacerbate the release of As into the environment. The review also highlights the role of local microorganisms, particularly those from the phyla Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, which possess As metabolic genes that facilitate As translocation. Given the unique climatic conditions of the plateau, conventional methods for As control may not be fully effective. However, the review identifies promising remediation strategies that are environmentally adaptable, such as the use of local microorganisms, specific adsorbents, and integrated technologies, which offer potential solutions for managing and utilizing As-contaminated soils on the plateau.

Improving the thermal performance of vertical ground heat exchanger by modifying spiral tube geometry: A numerical study

Ground heat exchanger (GHE) is the most crucial element of a ground source heat pump (GSHP) system for building cooling and heating by the utilization of geothermal energy. Therefore, intending to enhance the performance of GHE, the present study conducts a computational investigation of the thermal performance of modified spiral tube vertical GHEs. Several modifications of uniform-pitched spiral GHE are made to increase its thermal performance. Some modifications are introduced as variable-pitched spiral tube GHE where spiral inlet pipes are densified in the lower part of GHEs by reducing pitch distance. Conversely, in some modifications, the position of the outlet straight pipe is changed. Water is considered as the working fluid and the inlet temperature of the water is maintained fixed at 300.15 K. After extensive analysis, it is evident that, when the outlet pipe is placed outside of the spiral coil, there is a 7.67 % enhancement in the thermal performance than a traditional uniform-pitched spiral tube GHE. However, modifications like variable-pitched spiral tube GHEs are not significant to improve the thermal performance due to the quick saturation of the ground soil temperature around the GHE pipes. To have a balance between heat transfer rate and pressure drop, thermal performance capability (TPC) and coefficient of performance improvement (COPimprvt) criterion were evaluated and it is found that the uniform-pitched spiral tube GHE along with the outlet pipe at the outside of the spiral provides maximum thermal performance with a maximum TPC value of 1.062 and provides the positive value of COPimprvt criterion. The positive values of COPimprvt indicate that the spiral tube GHEs are energy efficient based on heat transfer and pressure drop. Moreover, spiral GHE with high-density polyethylene (HDPE), concrete pile, and sandy clay outperform the other materials for pipe, backfill, and soil, respectively. Specifically, HDPE pipe, concrete backfill, and sandy clay as soil offer around 7 %, 5 %, and 7.8 % higher thermal performance compared to polyethylene, sand silica, and clay, respectively.

Thermo‒mechanical behavior of energy pile group in dry sand subjected to a horizontal load

The energy pile is an innovative structure element designed to utilize geothermal energy while simultaneously supporting building loads by means of integrating heat exchange tubes into the pile foundation. Despite the intricate thermodynamic characteristics of energy pile groups, research on them remains limited. This study investigated the horizontal load transfer mechanism of an energy pile group in dry sand by conducting a model test on a 2 × 2 energy pile group subjected to horizontal loads. Specifically, the impact of heating or cooling a single pile within the energy pile group was examined. The results showed that the bending moment was significantly larger on a single pile subjected to a thermal load than that of the other piles, with the majority of this variation occurring in its upper part. Additionally, the horizontal load had a strong influence on the rotational angle and horizontal displacement of the energy pile group. The rotational angle and horizontal displacement decreased with increasing depth. With rising temperature, the interaction between the pile and the soil intensified, and the soil pressure on the upper part of the pile increased while that in the lower part decreased.

Experimental investigation of a novel hybrid solar-geothermal desalination process

The widespread application of renewable energy, particularly in water desalination, is critical for addressing global water scarcity. This paper proposes a novel hybrid sustainable desalination method that harnesses both solar and shallow geothermal energy through evaporation and condensation processes. The desalination device under consideration uses a parabolic trough solar collector to evaporate saline water, and then transports the generated water vapor to an underground vertical conduit. The vapor cools as a result of the underground low temperature, leading to condensation and the formation of fresh water. To assess the freshwater production capacity of the proposed system, a simple lab-scale prototype was developed. The experimental prototype's findings emphasize the substantial influence of temperature and velocity of water vapor at the inlet of the buried pipe on the efficiency of freshwater production. Despite its small scale, the prototype outperforms other solar desalination methods, producing a remarkable output of 740 ml/h of fresh water under specific conditions (temperature: 53 °C, velocity: 1.4 m/s) With an estimated productivity of 90 l m−2 day−1,the present desalination prototype is more effective when compared with other earlier experimental studies of solar desalination systems such as active solar still and humidifier, dehumidifier solar systems, This research contributes to the advancement of sustainable desalination technologies, holding promise for addressing water scarcity challenges globally.

Strategy of geothermal energy development as a renewable energy source in West Java Indonesia

Background: Indonesia has vast renewable energy potential, including biofuels, biomass, and bioenergy from tropical biodiversity spread across the country. Hydropower and geothermal energy are the only forms of renewable energy used to generate electricity and are connected to the grid. Geothermal energy may be incorporated into the grid to create hybrid energy systems that will help to reduce the high energy demand while maintaining low energy costs and net present costs. There are now 14 biosphere reserves in Indonesia, divided into 24 units of core zones, six units of buffer zones, and 13 units of transition zones. The West Java Province has a geothermal potential of 6,101 MWe or 21% of Indonesia's total geothermal resources. Currently, the installed capacity of electricity from geothermal energy in West Java is 1075 MWe or 89% of the total national installed capacity of 1196 MWe. Method: This paper reviews West Java Province data collection from official government bureaus, state-owned businesses, and non-governmental organizations (NGO) reports on geothermal energy capacity, electricity installation, and used area of ​​geothermal power plant and will be limited to the years 2010 through 2020. The collected data will then be refined, extrapolated, and analyzed by the connected trend to aid in studying West Java geothermal growth and use SWOT method analysis. Finding: The result of this research is a strategy for optimizing the development of geothermal energy utilization. The strategies that can be developed are infrastructure improvement as an investment facilitation strategy, a strategy to leverage a costly investment and capital investment, underground mining in conservation forest areas to avoid degradation improvement and supervision of related institutions and stakeholders, implementation of environmentally sustainable development, and socializing programs and providing job opportunities for the local community. Conclusion: Indonesia has an enormous potential for renewable energy, especially geothermal, with West Java Province having the largest installed capacity. This study suggests strategies to optimize geothermal energy development, including improving infrastructure, investment facilities, underground mining, improving supervision, and sustainable development. Novelty/Originality of this study: Research on geothermal energy in West Java provides a comprehensive analysis and specific strategies to optimize the development of this energy in the area, including innovative underground mining approaches.

Thermodynamics to economic analyses of geothermal-driven hydrogen energy systems

This paper investigates geothermal energy's potential for hydrogen production, addressing fossil fuel limitations, climate change, and the need for integrated simulations and financial assessments tailored to specific geological contexts. We compare the energy efficiency and economic feasibility of geothermal-driven hydrogen production systems through simulations of flash cycles, organic Rankine cycle (ORC), and hybrid flash-ORC systems. Optimal operational parameters for energy efficiency are identified under various geothermal conditions. Our analysis reveals that the system efficiency strongly depends on temperature and geofluid type. For dry steam over 200 °C, the energy efficiency of the system is estimated to be roughly 15 %. For wet steam in a fully liquid state, combining ORC with flash cycles can extract more than 10 % of energy from the geofluid. The levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) production using dry steam is estimated at 1.26 USD/kg, which is even lower than that of using natural gas. When feeding the hybrid flash systems with fully liquid wet geofluid, the lowest LCOH is 5.23 USD/kg. Economic viability depends on geological and technological variables, including well depth and pressure constraints. The results highlight the strategic potential of integrating geothermal energy into the clean energy matrix, balancing economic and environmental sustainability for carbon neutrality.

Advancing Sustainable Geothermal Energy: A Case Study of Controlled Source Audio-Frequency Magnetotellurics Applications in Qihe, Shandong

Geothermal energy is a key part of sustainable and renewable energy strategies, especially for clean heating in northern regions. This study focuses on Qihe County in Shandong Province, applying a controlled source audio-frequency magnetotellurics (CSAMT) method to investigate deep karst geothermal reservoirs. This research addresses the complex geological conditions and electromagnetic interference in the region, aiming to improve sustainable geothermal resource development. The findings indicate that the geothermal reservoir in the study area primarily consists of Ordovician limestone, characterized by moderate burial depth, high water volume, and elevated water temperature. Integrating CSAMT with vertical electrical sounding (VES) and radiometric surveying has clearly defined the deep aquifer layers and major water-controlling fault structures. Drilling verification results demonstrate the significant effectiveness of the integrated geophysical methods employed, providing reliable technical support for deep geothermal exploration in similar regions. This study makes a significant contribution to the scientific and technical foundation necessary for the sustainable development and utilization of geothermal resources, supporting the broader goals of environmental sustainability and renewable energy.

Integrating district heating potentials into European energy system modelling: An assessment of cost advantages of renewable and excess heat

This paper takes a novel modelling approach by considering high spatial resolution heat generation potentials for district heating and integrating them into a European energy system model. Subsequently, a modelling analysis of an integrated energy system including district heating, electricity and hydrogen supply for 25 EU Member States and the year 2050 is carried out. In contrast to existing approaches, the modelling approach captures the heterogeneous resource availability in district heating. The results show multivalent district heating networks based on a wide range of renewable and excess heat sources used directly or in combination with large-scale heat pumps. The high spatial resolution of the heat generation potentials allows a detailed cost comparison of different possible future technology mixes in district heating. The paper finds that the use of heat pumps, geothermal energy and industrial excess heat offer slight cost advantages for the energy system as a whole. Geothermal heat can also provide cost advantages for district heating generation.

Feature extraction and pattern recognition in time-lapse pressure transient responses

Monitoring of modern wells equipped with permanent downhole gauges and flowmeters provides large datasets of pressure, temperature and flowrate measurements. On a limited scale, selected events from these datasets are traditionally used in well performance analysis and monitoring, reservoir simulation, and many other tasks employing physics-based models. New methods that combine model- and data-driven approaches for full-scale analysis of these large datasets have recently attracted interest, suggesting new metrics for knowledge extraction. Most recent studies have used a combination of Pressure Transient Analysis (PTA), which is a key reservoir engineering tool, with hybrid methods, such as PTA-metrics and AI-powered models. The emergence of hybrid methodologies combining model- and data-driven approaches has opened new perspectives for comprehensive analysis and knowledge extraction from big well monitoring data sets, accumulated in the industry. Despite their potential, these methodologies often face challenges in reliability, effective data processing, interpretation and feature engineering.This paper introduces a novel PTA-feature extraction and pattern recognition methods for analysis of time-lapse pressure transient responses and their Bourdet derivatives. The pattern recognition method builds on an unsupervised classification method to extract PTA-features, associated with different flow regimes commonly used in PTA. Each pressure transient in a time-lapse series is first processed by an autonomously fine-tuned algorithm that measures the signal's distance to an ensemble of physically meaningful responses defined by PTA-feature library, thus breaking the transient into a series of likely PTA-features. A set of hyperparameters is used in the unsupervised classification, where an optimization procedure is employed for automated tuning of the hyperparameters to a particular transient. Subsequently, recognition of underlying patterns governed by sequences of these PTA-features in the time-lapse transient responses is performed. Testing of the combination of these new methods through synthetic and field cases is further carried out with verification via comparison with expert’ interpretation results. Added value to the previously introduced PTA metrics, which provide on-the-fly well and reservoir performance analysis, is finally demonstrated. The proposed pattern recognition method improves reliability and automates the calculation of the PTA metrics.The developed methodology serves as a new tool for knowledge extraction from big well monitoring datasets, available in the companies operating in the oil and gas industry, as well as the emerging industries such as carbon capture and storage and geothermal energy production. The article concludes with a discussion of the main advantages and limitations of the suggested feature extraction and pattern recognition methods. Besides the combined use of the methods described in this article, these methods may also be integrated with conventional physics-based approaches widely used in the industry for well data interpretation and reservoir simulations, improving their performance and efficiency for big data sets.

Process Modeling and Optimization of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide-Enhanced Geothermal Systems in Poland

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2)-enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs) in Poland, focusing on their energetic performance through process modeling and optimization. EGSs harness the potential of geothermal energy by utilizing supercritical carbon dioxide as the working fluid, offering promising avenues for sustainable power generation. This study investigates two distinct configurations of sCO2-EGS: one dedicated to power generation via a binary system with an organic Rankine cycle and the other for combined power and heat production through a direct sCO2 cycle. Through accurate process modeling and simulation, key parameters influencing system efficiency and performance are identified and optimized. The analysis integrates thermodynamic principles with geological and operational constraints specific to the Polish context. The results highlight the potential of sCO2-EGSs to contribute to the country’s energy transition, offering insights into the optimal design and operation of such systems for maximizing both power and thermal output while ensuring economic viability and environmental sustainability.

Climate change, causes, economic impact and mitigation

The earth and its environment is currently undergoing changes, which may be natural as a result of the earth’s processes or artificial, as a result of man’s activities that has altered the natural earth processes. Climate change is a result of the alteration of the atmospheric balance which in-turn has diverse effects on the earth’s processes and her inhabitants. The aim of this review is primarily to elaborate the climate change, the causes, economic impact and methods of mitigating climate change. The effect of climate change is massive but this article is targeted towards the economic impact of climate change and methods of eliminating this effect in this area. It is a universal challenge, it therefore requires universal attention. This article is a review work on the previous publications on climate change including journals and other articles that are closely related to this topic, it goes ahead to reveal the current situations and effect of climate change in our society today and scientifically proven means of mitigating such effects. Fossil fuels are by far the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 90% of all carbon emissions. Human activities have warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land, producing widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere. The methods of mitigating climate change are primarily by reducing the use of fossil fuels in order to stop adding more CO2, Nitrous acid and methane (which are all greenhouse gases) to the atmosphere, by using more of renewable energy such as solar energy, geothermal energy, and hydroelectricity. Practicing better farming systems to improve crop yield other than using harmful chemicals. Implementing policies against gas flaring, faulty automobiles discharging high amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, bush-burning, deforestation etc, should be practiced more.

Development and use of semi-empirical spectral ground motion models for GPP-induced micro-earthquakes in Southern Germany

This study provides a comprehensive exploration of ground motions associated with micro-earthquakes induced by geothermal power plants (GPP) in Southern Germany and proposes corresponding ground motion prediction equations (GMPE). Initiating with a statistical analysis of recorded seismic data from the GPP in Insheim, the study is extended to the greater Munich area. For the latter, the scarce recorded data are merged with physics-based simulation data. The recorded data in Insheim, Poing, Unterhaching and the simulated data in Munich are compared to existing GMPEs for GPP-induced events, highlighting the need of new region-specific prediction equations. The proposed GMPEs are expressed in terms of peak quantities, spectral accelerations and velocities, separating the horizontal and vertical direction. The regression curves exhibit a good alignment with both recorded and simulated data, within an acceptable range. Notably, the results reveal higher spectral quantities at shorter periods (<0.1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$<0.1$$\\end{document} s), underscoring the importance of this characteristic in seismic assessment. The article shows an exemplary application for a low-rise residential building, located at a hypocentral distance of 3 km. While the building meets serviceability standards for an MW\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$M_W$$\\end{document} up to 2.5, the verification fails at MW=3\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$M_W=3$$\\end{document}, emphasizing the need for robust risk assessment. These findings contribute to the understanding of ground motions of GPP-induced events, offering practical implications for serviceability verifications and aiding informed decision-making in geothermal energy projects.Graphical abstract

Environmental higher education, formal finance, energy security risk, and renewable energy investment in China: An aggregate and disaggregate analysis

China is currently the largest energy-consuming nation; however, its contribution to renewable energy investment (REI) is significant and warrants examination. Many studies have analyzed how various factors may contribute to REI. However, the roles of environmental higher education (EHE), formal finance (FF), and energy security risk (ESR) in determining REI has not been sufficiently investigated. This analysis is an effort to examine the nexus between EHE, FF, ESR, and REI in China at the aggregate and disaggregate levels from 1996 to 2022. This study employed the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and quantile autoregressive distributed lag (QARDL) models. The results indicate FF, EHE, and ESR effectively stimulate long-run aggregate REI. However, at the disaggregate level, FF significantly escalates investments in solar, wind, geothermal, and hydro energies. At the same time, EHE promotes investments in solar, wind, and hydro energies, and ESRs cause investments in solar and wind energies to grow. The QARDL model confirmed that FF, EHE, and ESR promote REI across most quantiles in the long run. Therefore, it is recommended that policymakers integrate these factors into REI policies.

Investigations of organic Rankine cycle with various working fluids on geothermal energy for development of distributed generation in Indonesia

Investigations of organic Rankine cycle with various working fluids on geothermal energy for development of distributed generation in Indonesia

Geothermal energy appraisal and subsurface structural mapping of the Rafin Rewa warm spring region, Precambrian basement complex of Nigeria

This research work aims at evaluating the geothermal energy potentials of the Rafin Rewa warm spring (RRWS) of the Precambrian Basement Complex in Nigeria as an alternative energy source using integrated aeromagnetic geophysical techniques. Four aeromagnetic dataset were acquired, assemblage, analyzed, and interpreted using integrated geophysical processing techniques of spectral analysis and Euler deconvolution. Qualitative interpretation of the residual anomalous map reveals a distribution of positive anomalies (> 53 nT) majorly in the central and southeastern regions, which are traced to the granitic rocks, while the low anomalies (< − 1.5 nT) have been traced to the RRWS location emanating from the coastal plain sands of the Pliocene, Pleistocene, Oligocene, and Miocene ages. Quantitatively, the depth to the top (DTT) of the anomalous bodies reveals a depression that is almost intersecting with the Curie point depth (CPD) plot at the RRWS location, which indicates high heat flow in the RRWS region. The Spectral Analysis results reveal that the DTT and the CPD in this area ranges from 0.512 to 0.761 km and 6.504 to 10.582 km, respectively while the average CPD is 8.543 ± 0.325 km. It is observed that the DTT and CPD decrease as one move away from the RRWS region. The computed heat flow average was 160.76 ± 19.09 mW/m2 within the RRWS region. The Euler deconvolution result reveals the presence of geological structures, which were interpreted as faults and fractures. The major fractures trend in the east–west (E-W) directions, while the minor fractures trend northeast-southwest (NE-SW) directions. The geochemical result presented shows that iconic compositions impact the convective heat transfer processes associated with geothermal systems. It was conclusively believed that regions with comparable shallow CPDs could be viable for further geothermal energy investigations.

GIS analysis for the selection of optimal sites for mine water geothermal energy application: a case study of Scotland's mining regions

Water within flooded coal mines can be abstracted via boreholes or shafts, where heat can be extracted from (or rejected to) it to satisfy surface heating (or cooling) demands. Following use, water can be reinjected into the mine workings or discharged to a surface water receptor. Four criteria have been applied, using ArcGIS, to datasets describing mine workings and mine water below the Midland Valley of Scotland to provide an initial screening tool for suitability for mine water geothermal energy exploitation. The criteria are: (i) the presence of two or more worked coal seams below site; (ii) the absence of potentially unstable shallow (&lt;30 m) workings; (iii) a depth to mine water piezometric head of less than 60 m; and (iv) a depth of coal mine workings of less than 250 m. The result is the Mine Water Geothermal Resource Atlas for Scotland (MiRAS). MiRAS suggests that a total area of 370 km 2 is ‘optimal’ for mine water geothermal development across 19 local authority areas, with greatest coverage in North Lanarkshire. This result should not be taken to suggest that mine water geothermal potential does not exist at locations outside the identified ‘optimal’ footprint. The MiRAS does not preclude the necessity for specialist engineering and geological input during a full feasibility study.

Curie point depth and heat flow estimations for geothermal energy exploration in parts of southern Nigeria’s inland basins

Curie point depth and heat flow estimations for geothermal energy exploration in parts of southern Nigeria’s inland basins

Strengthening the energy efficiency ratio of warm deep gas-assisted hydrate production through optimizing water circulation

Utilizing the geothermal energy from the deep gas layer to enhance the hydrate decomposition is a potential clean production approach, avoiding the vast costs and severe pollution in the traditional heat injection scheme. In this work, a novel method was proposed to promote hydrate decomposition by employing circulating water to transport heat from the deep gas layer. Results showed that increasing the water flow rate from 9.82 mL/min to 39.28 mL/min could significantly improve the production efficiency by 27.27 %. Yet, the energy efficiency ratio (EER) slightly decreased by 3.31 % due to the increased power consumption of the water pump. A hybrid water flow rate was thus used with a lower rate in the later production stage when the heat absorption of hydrate decomposition was declining accordingly. This was found to successively improve the EER by 2.68 % while maintaining comparable production efficiency; a further cycling regulation (intermittent circulating) of the hybrid water flow rate could significantly enhance the EER by 16.23 %. The results could guide the efficient utilization of natural geothermal energy to facilitate the large-scale gas production from the natural gas hydrates when heat supply from the surrounding sediments was limited.

Exploring geothermal resources with the CSAMT and microtremor methods: a case study in Tangquan, Jiangsu Province, China

The development of geothermal energy has received extensive attention because of global energy scarcity and environmental pollution. The Tangquan area is in the north of the Yangtze fold belt, and the lack of magmatic rock development has resulted in a low-temperature type of geothermal reservoir. There are sporadic hot springs and cold springs exposed in the study area, but the uncertain deep geological structure, unknown geothermal reservoir formation mechanism, and lack of detailed exploration data seriously restrict the exploration and development of geothermal resources in the area. Filling underground faults with water can significantly reduce electrical resistivity, while traps filled with warm water can cause a decrease in S-wave velocity. Thus, a new integrated geophysical method, including the controlled source audio-frequency magnetotelluric (CSAMT) and microtremor methods, is applied for geothermal exploration in the region. The combination of CSAMT and microtremor methods can determine thermal-controlled and water-conducting structures more effectively and locate geothermal storage more accurately. The source, channel, storage, and cover of regional geothermal reservoir formation are analyzed using geophysical and geological data. That is, the regional NE- and NW-trending faults are explained as thermal-controlled and water-conducted structures, respectively. The deep Sinian Dengying Formation supplies a heat- and water-bearing space. The tectonic intersection area, especially the tensional fault zone, is found to be closely related to the existence of geothermal reservoirs, which is well verified by later drilling results. Finally, a geothermal reservoir model is established to comprehensively understand the distribution of geothermal energy in the region.