Natural thermal springs have been used since Roman times and towns such as Bath and Buxton have grown up around them. The warm waters have travelled up from the Carboniferous limestone, a rock formation that can be found in many regions of the UK such as the Peak District and the Mendip Hills.
The geothermal team at BGS has mapped where the limestone is buried below the Earth’s surface at depths of over 4 km. Using established 3D modelling methods, they assessed the depth, distribution and geothermal potential of different regions in England. They calculated that there is potential to recover thermal heat of 106 to 222 GW from these rocks at depth under central and southern Great Britain.
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