A hands-on school project to engage children with seismic monitoring and deep geothermal energy

The Upper Rhine Graben, due to its high geothermal gradient and associated geological setting, provides particularly favourable conditions for deep geothermal energy, making it a baseload-capable renewable resource. Yet public perception of geothermal energy is often influenced by concerns, particularly regarding induced seismicity. Enhancing understanding of geological processes and increasing exposure to scientific monitoring practices can provide a foundation for more informed opinion-making. In this context, schools serve as powerful multipliers for science communication, especially in municipalities where geothermal projects are planned or already underway. Engaging young people in hands-on seismic monitoring can simultaneously enhance understanding of natural and induced earthquakes, strengthen scientific literacy, and support fact-based public dialogue.

Here we present a three-session educational intervention conducted with upper secondary pupils at a school in Wörth am Rhein (Germany), where the geothermal project WärmeWerk Wörth is currently planned. It is a joint venture formed by local partners, Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (EnBW), Daimler Truck AG (DT) and the town of Wörth am Rhein, with the aim of constructing a geothermal power plant to supply energy to DT's production site and the local district heating network of the city of Wörth am Rhein. The pupils get a hands-on introduction to geothermal energies in the regional context and to related topics, including seismic monitoring. Using Raspberry Shake 3D seismometers (RS3D), pupils collect continuous ground vibration data, analyze the data in Python, and interpret seismic noise characteristics at different locations in their school. An evaluation survey was carried out before and after the project to assess learning outcomes, affective imagery, and changes in attitudes toward geothermal energy. We describe in particular the design of these hands-on geoscience modules, present key geophysical observations obtained by the pupils, and evaluate changes in knowledge and perceptions of deep geothermal energy based on the surveys.