Numerical model of the Euganean Geothermal System (EuGS)

This file contains the setup and the results of the numerical model constructed to assess and quantify the processes driving the Euganean Geothermal System (EuGS; Veneto region, NE Italy). This thermal system is associated with a regional system of faults and their interaction zone. The damage zones of regional faults locally enhance the regional fluid flow while the dense local fracture mesh within the interaction zone favors the rising of the thermal waters up to shallow depths (300-1,000 m b.g.l.). The result is a low-temperature geothermal resource (65-86°C) hosted in Mesozoic carbonates and extensively exploited for balneotherapy and recreational purposes in the Euganean Geothermal Field (EuGF). The model corroborates the impact of the structural-causative processes driving the regional to local fluid flow, increasing the convection within the interaction zone, and favoring the rise of the deep-seated waters in the EuGF area. The model was conducted using the software FEFLOW and it was run for 2.5 Ma. The final solution is of a quasi steady state reproducing the natural conditions of the system before the exploitation of the thermal waters by wells. This file contains: (i) the distribution of the hydrogeological and thermal parameters; (ii) the boundary conditions of the model; and (iii) the initial and final distributions (time step 0 y and 2,500,000 y, respectively) of the primary variables (temperature, hydraulic head).