Inversion of geothermal data for paleoclimate reconstructions has recently received increased attention because it potentially provides a means of estimating the amount of heat being stored in the Earth's continents. However, the use of geothermal data can be hampered because of the impact of land-use changes and fluid flow on heat flow patterns in the subsurface. In collaboration with Hugo Beltrami (St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada) I have recently been working on methodologies to correct for these effects based upon numerical modeling of subsurface heat transport [Bense and Beltrami, 2007].

Ferguson, G., and V.F. Bense (under revision), Considering lateral heat transport in the estimation of groundwater seepage from streambed temperatures, Water Resources Research

Bense, V., and H. Beltrami (2007), Impact of horizontal groundwater flow and localized deforestation on the development of shallow temperature anomalies, J. Geophys. Res., 112, F04015, doi:10.1029/2006JF000703. [PDF]

Bense, V.F. and H. Kooi (2004), Temporal and spatial variations of shallow subsurface temperature as a record of lateral variations in groundwater flow, J. Geophys Res., 109, B04103, doi:10.1029/2003JB002782. [PDF]