Stanford Geothermal WorkshopFebruary 9-11, 2026

To meet the growing demand for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) deployment across the United States, it is essential to expand EGS viability across a wide range of geological settings that differ in lithology, temperature, stress regime, and fluid conditions. A key challenge in scaling EGS is the management of induced seismicity, which directly influences both public perception and long-term operational success. At Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), we have established and operated seismic monitoring systems across a diverse portfolio of EGS and conventional geothermal sites, including The Geysers, Desert Peak, Brady Hot Springs, Raft River, Newberry, Patua, Cape Modern and Utah FORGE geothermal fields. These networks—ranging from borehole and surface geophones to broadband optical accelerometers—were tailored to site-specific geological and operational conditions, enabling long-term, high-resolution observation of microseismic activity and reservoir behavior. Drawing on more than a decade of multi-site experience, we present the principal lessons learned from field deployments and sustained monitoring. These lessons encompass network design trade-offs between cost, sensitivity, and spatial coverage; the critical role of borehole sensors in lowering magnitude completeness below M0.0; the benefits of robust telemetry and data streaming for real-time analysis; and the importance of calibration, permitting, and noise mitigation. Together, these insights have informed the development of best practices for seismic monitoring in EGS projects and contributed to DOE’s evolving induced seismicity protocols. Finally, we highlight LBNL’s ongoing efforts to ensure open data access through repositories such as NSF SAGE, fostering collaboration and advancing future geothermal research and reservoir management.

Topic: Geophysics