This study, involving remote sensing, seismology, and geology, revealed complex faulting during the mainshock of the Ston–Slano earthquake sequence (5 September, 1996, Mw = 6.0). The observed DInSAR interferogram fringe patterns could not be explained by a single fault rupture. Geological investigations assigned most of the interferogram features either to previously known faults or to those newly determined by field studies. Relocation of hypocentres and reassessment of fault mechanisms provided additional constraints on the evolution of stress release during this sequence. Available data support the scenario that the mainshock started with a reverse rupture with a left-lateral component on the Slano fault 4.5 km ESE of Slano, at the depth of about 11 km. The rupture proceeded unilaterally to the NW with the velocity of about 1.5 km/s for about 11 km, where the maximum stress release occurred. DInSAR interferograms suggest that several faults were activated in the process. The rupture terminated about 20 km away from the epicentre, close to the town of Ston, where the maximum DInSAR ground displacement reached 38 cm. Such a complicated and multiple rupture has never before been documented in the Dinarides. If this proves to be a common occurrence, it can pose problems in defining realistic hazard scenarios, especially in deterministic hazard assessment.

Soil gas measurements of radon (²²²Rn), CO₂, and hydrocarbon concentrations, as well as gamma-ray spectrometry, were conducted at two separate locations to estimate the measurement results for known locations of hydrocarbon accumulations in the subsurface and oil seepage on the surface. The aim of the study was to confirm the applicability of the method for identifying migration pathways (e.g., faults) and to detect possible seepages of hydrocarbons to the surface as well as to investigate possible health issue potential about the soil gas analysis results. Site A investigations were performed with a large number of sampling points to provide sufficient spatial coverage to capture the influence of subsurface lithologic variability as well as the influence of the migration pathway on the measured parameters. For the investigation of site B, sampling points were positioned to reflect the situation between the area above producing hydrocarbon fields and areas with no confirmed accumulation. The results presented show that it is possible to distinguish the near-surface lithology (gamma-ray spectrometry), characterize the migration pathway, and indicate the area of oil seepage at the surface. Areas above the known hydrocarbon accumulations generally have elevated radon concentrations and detectable heavier hydrocarbons with sporadic methane in soil gas, which contrasts with the lower radon levels and lack of detectable heavier hydrocarbons in soil gas in the area with no confirmed hydrocarbon accumulation in the subsurface.

Highly fractured Mesozoic carbonate rocks are the main reservoir of many geothermal resources in northern Croatia, being of environmental, cultural, and economic value for the local and regional communities. The Daruvar thermal springs (temperatures < 50°C) represent the outflow area of an intermediate scale, tectonically controlled, hydrothermal system hosted in Triassic carbonate rocks. Several investigations have been conducted in the Daruvar area detailing the architecture of regional and local fracture networks and quantifying the hydrogeological parameters of the thermal aquifer. In this work, an integrated approach based on structural and hydrogeological investigations was employed to model the network of fractures in the reservoir and quantify its impact on the hydraulic properties. Structural investigations were conducted in the Batinjska Rijeka quarry, considered as an outcrop analogue of the thermal aquifer, employing both a classical field approach and the virtual quantitative analysis of a 3D digital outcrop model. Structural analysis of the digital outcrop model allowed identification of two sub-vertical systems of discontinuities, dipping to the NW and the WSW respectively, in accordance with the data collected through direct field measurements. The main geometric features of the discontinuity network and their statistical distributions were employed to construct discrete fracture network models at both the outcrop scale (approximately 100 m) and the aquifer scale in Daruvar (approximately 700 m). Calibration of the input parameters allowed modelling of porosity and permeability values that reproduce the field values assessed through pumping tests, well tests, and well logging. This work highlights the importance of integrating geological and hydrogeological investigations to obtain a more reliable reconstruction and quantification of the processes driving the fluid flow in fractured aquifers and affecting the spatial distribution of their hydraulic properties.

The sustainable utilization of geothermal energy mostly depends on the characteristics of the geothermal resource from which it is extracted. Among others, detailed geological modeling is a key factor for estimating the potential of a geothermal resource. This research focuses on the modeling and reconstruction of the geological setting of the Daruvar thermal spring area using geophysical techniques. An integrated geophysical approach based on electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and both active and passive seismic (MASW and HVSR) methods was used. Based on ERT results and the stratigraphic logs of the wells in Daruvar, three resistivity layers/geological units were identified. The deepest layer with resistivity < 150 Ωm is the Triassic carbonate that constitutes the thermal aquifer. Sharp lateral variations in the resistivity distributions within the bedrock were interpreted as fault damage zones saturated with thermal waters. Integrating the results of the seismic methods, the thickness of the first seismic layer that corresponds to the Quaternary cover was estimated from 5 to 20 m. Here, results of the geophysical investigations were combined into a 3D geological model highlighting the occurrence of subvertical N-S and E-W trending faults in the Daruvar spring area. The N-S-trending fault was interpreted as a fault plane parallel to the regionally mapped Daruvar fault. This fault juxtaposes the Triassic carbonate complex of the thermal aquifer with a Neogene sedimentary sequence of significantly lower permeability. Neogene–Quaternary tectonic activity further increased the fracturing and the permeability field in the Daruvar spring area, as proven by the smaller scale E-W faults and the well logs. This fracture network permits a quick upwelling of thermal fluids resulting in thermal springs with temperatures up to 50 °C. This work proves that the construction of a detailed geological model is crucial for assessing the reservoir and fault geometries in thermal systems hosted in fractured carbonate rocks.

Geothermal energy is an important resource in the green economy transition. For the preservation of a geothermal resource it is crucial to assess its renewability and the sustainability of the exploitation. These aspects are influenced by the interaction among the physical, chemical, geological, and hydrogeological processes. The reconstruction of the geological assemblage allows the detailing of the geometries of the reservoir and fracture systems that influence the fluid flow and the water/rock interaction. The control of regional/local scale fault and fold systems on the development of the Daruvar hydrothermal system (DHS), located in Croatian part of the Pannonian basin, is detailed in this work. Field investigations were conducted to collect structural data on strata orientation and fault/fracture systems. The dataset was integrated with geological and geophysical data to develop composite geological profiles and a 3D geological model. Results display a pattern of generally N-S and E-W striking folds and cogenetic fracture systems with orientations parallel to the fold axes. The geological reconstruction was integrated with geophysical, hydrogeological, and geochemical data to propose a conceptual model of the DHS. The DHS is a topographically driven system hosted in a Mesozoic carbonate reservoir where E-W striking fracture systems are regional flow paths that enable infiltration of meteoric water to 1 km depth and its reheating in its reservoir area. In Daruvar, an anticline and fault/fracture systems accommodate the uplift of reservoir to shallow depths, promoting the bedrock fracturing and increase of the permeability field. These conditions favor the localized upwelling of thermal water resulting in four thermal springs (38°C and 50°C) in Daruvar city area. This work highlights the importance of employing a multidisciplinary approach to detail the complex interaction among the processes driving the geothermal resource.

Quaternary fault activity in the SW Pannonian Basin: GPR surveying in the Bilogora Mt. (NE Croatia)