Abstract: As the use of geothermal energy grows internationally
more effort is required to monitor and protect areas with rare and
important geothermal surface features. A number of approaches are
presented for developing and calibrating numerical geothermal
reservoir models that are capable of accurately representing
geothermal surface features. The approaches are discussed in the
context of cases studies of the Rotorua geothermal system and the
Orakei-korako geothermal system, both of which contain important
surface features. The results show that models are able to match the
available field data accurately and hence can be used as valuable
tools for predicting the future response of the systems to changes in
use.