Numerical Evaluation and Optimization of Depth-oriented Temperature Measurement for the Investigation of Thermal Influences on Groundwater Resources

High-resolution depth-oriented temperature measurements have been introduced to investigate a groundwater body in the urban area of Basel. In total, four devices were installed with up to 16 sensors - located in both the saturated and unsaturated zone. Measurements were performed over a period of 4 years and provide sufficient data to set up and calibrate high-resolution numerical local heat-transport models. Calibration was performed for the saturated and unsaturated zone, respectively.Model results show that although depth-oriented measurements provide valuable insights into local thermal processes, the identification of governing and impacting factors strongly depends on appropriate positioning of the measurement device.