Understanding the stratigraphic fill and reconstructing the palaeo‐hydrology of incised valleys can help to constrain those factors that controlled their origin, evolution and regional significance. This condition is addressed through the analysis of a large (up to 18 km wide by 80 m deep) and exceptionally well‐imaged Late Pleistocene incised valley from the Sunda Shelf (South China Sea) based on shallow three‐dimensional seismic data from a large (11 500 km²), ‘merge’ survey, supplemented with site survey data (boreholes and seismic). This approach has enabled the characterization of the planform geometry, cross‐sectional area and internal stratigraphic architecture, which together allow reconstruction of the palaeo‐hydrology. The valley‐fill displays five notable stratigraphic features: (i) it is considerably larger than other seismically resolvable channel forms and can be traced for at least 180 km along its length; (ii) it is located in the axial part of the Malay Basin; (iii) the youngest part of the valley‐fill is dominated by a large (600 m wide and 23 m deep), high‐sinuosity channel, with well‐developed lateral accretion surfaces; (iv) the immediately adjacent interfluves contain much smaller, dendritic channel systems, which resemble tributaries that drained into the larger incised valley system; and (v) a ca 16 m thick, shell‐bearing, Holocene clay caps the valley‐fill. The dimension, basin location and palaeo‐hydrology of this incised valley leads to the conclusion that it represents the trunk river, which flowed along the length of the Malay Basin; it connected the Gulf of Thailand in the north with the South China Sea in the south‐east. The length of the river system (>1200 km long) enables examination of the upstream to downstream controls on the evolution of the incised valley, including sea‐level, climate and tectonics. The valley size, orientation and palaeo‐hydrology suggest close interaction between the regional tectonic framework, low‐angle shelf physiography and a humid‐tropical climatic setting.

Energy consumption worldwide has undergone a recent shift, with hydrocarbons, coal, and new energy sources taking center stage. However, fossil fuels face criticism due to their negative impacts on the environment through air pollution. Geothermal energy is a clean, renewable, and eco-friendly alternative that can be harnessed for power generation. The Lunayyir volcanic field is located in the western part of Saudi Arabia and has been identified as a potential geothermal resource. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of the gravity, magnetic, and land surface temperature data collected over the study area is conducted to investigate the geothermal potential. The gravity data are processed using standard techniques to correct for instrument drift, diurnal variations, and topographic effects and to filter out high-frequency noise. The magnetic data are processed using standard procedures. Analysis of the gravity data shows that the Lunayyir volcanic field is characterized by a series of gravity anomalies, which can be interpreted as indicative of the presence of subsurface geologic structures that are similar in geothermal areas, such as faults, fractures, and intrusions. The magnetic data, on the other hand, show that the volcanic field has a relatively low magnetic susceptibility, which is consistent with the presence of volcanic rocks implying shallow heat sources. Landsat satellite data are utilized to calculate the land surface temperature through the use of GIS software. Additionally, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is calculated using the near-infrared and red bands of the Landsat satellite. The land surface temperature of the year 2007 shows the relatively high temperature at the surface as compared to 2000 and 2021, which is an indication of volcanic activities in the subsurface. It is suggested that these structures may provide conduits for hot fluids, which could potentially be exploited for geothermal energy production. The obtained results emphasize the importance of combining different geophysical datasets to obtain a better understanding of underground geology and geothermal systems. In general, this study improves the assessment of the Lunayyir volcanic field in the western part of Saudi Arabia for geothermal energy.

The global demand for energy is increasing rapidly due to population growth, urbanization, and industrialization, as well as to meet the desire for a higher standard of living. However, environmental concerns, such as air pollution from fossil fuels, are becoming limiting factors for energy sources. Therefore, the appropriate and sustainable solution is to transition towards renewable energy sources to meet global energy demands by using environmentally friendly sources, such as geothermal. The Harrat Rahat volcanic field, located in the western region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), gets more attention due to its geothermal potential as a viable site for geothermal energy exploration due to its high enthalpy. The prime objective of this study is to present up-to-date and comprehensive information on the utilization of borehole temperature and remote sensing data to identify the most prospective zones with significant geothermal activity favorable for exploration and drilling. A brief description of the selected wells and the methodology used to determine the petrophysical parameters relevant to the geothermal potential assessment are presented. Special emphasis is given to gamma-ray ray and temperature logs for calculating heat production and the geothermal gradient. The effectiveness of various machine learning techniques are assessed throughout this study for predicting the temperature-at-depth to evaluate the suitability of employing machine learning models for temperature prediction, and it is found that XG Boost provided excellent results. It can be observed that some linear anomalies can be traced in the NW, trending on the west side of the Harrat volcanic field based on magnetic data interpretation. The land surface temperature in 2021 exhibited higher temperatures compared to 2000, suggesting potential volcanic activity in the subsurface. It is concluded that the integration of remote sensing data with subsurface data provides the most reliable results.

It is necessary to develop and explore geothermal resources to achieve sustainable development and clean renewable energy around the Globe. Geothermal energy is crucial to the future energy supply to meet the environmentally friendly energy demand of the World. The Rahat Volcanic Field (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) is the oldest and lengthiest Cenozoic Volcanic Field in the World. It is a dominantly a mature mafic Volcanic Field that holds three major geological events; the historic eruption (1256 C.E.), the five fingers (∼4500–1500 BP), and the seismic swarm (1999 C.E.). These incidents were studied by utilizing geological information and geophysical data sets. Geophysical and geostatistical research includes gravity and magnetic survey data, including different log curves and major elements, obtained from water samples as well as of volcanic rocks obtained by X-ray fluorescence (XRF). To gain an understanding of the subsurface thermal structure, these datasets were analyzed. The primary goal of this study is to identify the prominent potential geothermal resources with the help of an available data set. Findings suggest that beneath the historic eruption site along with the fissure eruption, on the western side, there is a geothermal anomaly with a surface footprint of about 35 km². Analyzing gravity and magnetic data as well as density and magnetic susceptibility variations in rock samples led to the mapping of this anomaly. It has been inferred through integrated study that statistical analysis of major elements will be helpful to validate the results of the outcome.

The Saudi Arabia government announced the $500 billion mega project “NEOM City”, to build a cross-border mega city to connect Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordon for attracting foreign investments to the region. NEOM city is situated on the eastern region of the Gulf of Aqaba with its western side in the Sinai Peninsula. The selected site for NEOM city is geographically remarkable; nevertheless, this site needs a detailed geological and geophysical investigation. Sinai Peninsula is a microplate between the Arabian and African plates. Its southern tip is located at a triple junction comprising the Gulf of Aqaba–Dead Sea Transform fault, the Gulf of Suez, and the Red Sea, leading to relatively higher seismic activities in the region. The current study aims to understand the thermal structure of the vicinity of NEOM city to address the potential geohazards and indicate geological attractions within and around the planned city. We use the magnetic data from which geothermal images can be obtained. The preliminary results indicate that there is geologic similarity between the southern part of Sinai Peninsula and the northern part of the Arabian shield. This is because the Gulf of Aqaba separates what was once a continues Neoproterozoic crust. In addition, the magnetic data showed the presence of prominent lineaments on either side of the Gulf of Aqaba. The notable lineaments might represent faults that could still be active. Hence, selecting a site of NEOM city to be east of the Gulf of Aqaba needs to be guided by the careful understanding of the potential hazards. In addition, shallow Curie depths near the Gulf of Aqaba are recognized as a source for renewable geothermal energy.