GEOTHERMOVAL project
Inventory of the hydrothermal capacities of the Canton of Valais through the study of resurgent hydrothermal springs Initiated in 1988, the GEOTHERMOVAL program was designed to research, evaluate and develop potential geothermal resources in the canton of Valais as an alternative energy source, in particular for space heating and domestic hot water. This geothermal prospecting program was carried out by the CRSFA (Centre de Recherches Scientifiques Fondamentales et Appliquées de Sion, formerly… Read More
Geocadastre | geological surveys
Le cadastre cantonal des sondages géologiques – a web portal for consulting and editing subsoil data for the Canton of Valais Launched at the end of 2013, Géocadastre – the cantonal geological survey cadastre – has gradually established itself as a reference tool for practitioners. The Geocadast web portal not only enables consultation of subsurface data, but also provides information on the cantonal cadastre. The quaternary data contained in the Geocadastre are… Read More
Thermal balance of the water table
Inventory of groundwater use for heating and cooling in Sion, implementation of a temperature monitoring network. Groundwater is an important energy resource. It can be used to generate heat and cooling throughout the year. The groundwater table in the Rhône plain is often the focus of particular attention from planners, due to its high exploitation potential and proximity to the surface. There are around 150 installations in operation in the Sion area…. Read More
Geothermal potential in Valais (GEOTHERMOVAL II)
Geothermal potential of high-permeability conduits at the base of the glacial Rhone valley in Valais The aim of the Géothermoval II project, which follows on from the GEOTHERMOVAL project, is to estimate the geothermal potential of the Rhône valley in order to determine whether this resource can be exploited to meet the growing energy needs arising from the densification of lowland regions. In order to identify areas of interest for geothermal drilling,… Read More
DEEP CITY Verbier
Understanding water resources for better management CREALP is involved in applying the Deep City method (Parriaux et al. 2010) to the Verbier region on behalf of the Val de Bagnes municipality. This method was developed based on the observation that, on a commune scale, underground space is limited and a source of both conflicts (of use) and synergies (geomaterials). This approach aims to popularize and map complex geological complexes in order to… Read More
Rocks and quarries in Valais
An in-depth review of the geological, technical, historical and socio-economic aspects of quarries operating in the Valais over the past three centuries. Noting the rapid disappearance of quarrying archives in Valais, geologists and researchers Daniel A. Kissling, Michel F. Delaloye and Hans-Rudolf Pfeiffer decided to safeguard this heritage by recovering this information before it was too late, and making it accessible to the public. As a result of their work, over 570… Read More
Quaternary deposits
Exploiting and developing quaternary data from the Rhône Valley – Multiple challenges 90% of Switzerland’s land use takes place in the near subsoil, the site of Quaternary deposits. Consisting mainly of loose rock, these soils provide a variety of raw materials (water, mineral raw materials, geothermal energy). Their geological nature also determines certain soil properties that are important for the exploitation of natural resources (hydrogeology, geothermal energy), for the construction of structures,… Read More
GIS Groundwater
Design and implementation of a Groundwater Information and Management System to enhance the value of cantonal subsurface data In close collaboration with the Service de l’environnement(SEN) – Groupe Eaux souterraines du Canton du Valais, CREALP has been involved in setting up a global strategy for groundwater monitoring in the short, medium and long term. This analysis, which considers the various aspects related to groundwater management (quantitative and qualitative monitoring, protection of water… Read More