Lithium de France, KIT to collaborate on induced seismicity research in Upper Rhine Graben
The Schwabwiller drilling site in Alsace, France (source: Lithium de France)
Carlo Cariaga
6 May 2026
Lithium de France and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology are partnering on a research project to better understand induced seismicity in the Upper Rhine Graben.
Lithium de France, the geothermal heat and lithium development subsidiary of Arverne, has partnered with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) for a study on induced seismicity in the Upper Rhine Graben. The project will involve the deployment of seismological sensors and fiber optics at Lithium de France’s Schwabwiller site in Alsace, France, where the drilling of a geothermal well had just recently been completed.
The objective of the study is to refine the understanding of the structures and properties of the subsurface while testing next-generation seismic monitoring technologies. This involves the deployment of instrumented optical fiber that allows for the continuous recording of ground movements.
This technology transforms several kilometers of fiber into a dense network of seismic sensors, potentially offering unprecedented resolution. It paves the way for innovative analysis methods based on the processing of large datasets through machine learning. The use of optical fibers as a monitoring tool is currently one of the most active and innovative research areas in seismology.
The initiative benefits from the support of the GFZ Helmholtz-Zentrum für Geoforschung, a German geosciences research organization, which is providing seismological instruments from its geophysical instrumental platform (GIPP).
By combining the expertise of Lithium de France and KIT, this research project represents a major initiative to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of seismological monitoring and deepen the bunderstanding of the Upper Rhine Graben geothermal system. The collected data will be jointly analyzed by teams from both partners.
The research project is timely in the context of the ongoing development of the geothermal and lithium project in Schwabwiller, as well as the series of microseismic events that preceded the order to momentarily shut down the Rittershoffen geothermal heating plant.
Source: Lithium de France
