Clean Energy Beneath Our Feet launches at Glasgow Science Centre
A new interactive exhibition has launched at Glasgow Science Centre, inspired by the work of the UK Geoenergy Observatories.
13/03/2022 By BGS Press
The UK Geoenergy Observatories team has launched a new exhibition at Glasgow Science Centre.
The Glasgow Observatory is one of two new facilities that will help shed light on how underground heat resources could warm our homes and businesses.
Visitors can learn about how resources below the ground have powered our homes, towns and industries in the past, and what’s coming up in the future.
The exhibition is called Clean Energy Beneath Our Feet and is on display now in Glasgow Science Centre’s Powering the Future zone.
Visitors can learn about how resources below the ground have powered our homes, towns and industries in the past, and what’s coming up in the future.
The exhibition was created by Glasgow Science Centre for the UK Geoenergy Observatories project.
The interactive exhibition has launched at Glasgow Science Centre and will tour science centres, museums and festivals throughout the UK. BGS © UKRI.
The exhibition includes core samples taken from the geoenergy observatory in Glasgow. BGS © UKRI.
The exhibition has been designed to appeal to all audiences with an interest in earth and environmental science. BGS © UKRI.
Interactive elements include a holographic presentation illustrating how old coal mines can provide low-carbon heating. BGS © UKRI.
The UK geoenergy observatory in Glasgow has 12 boreholes that are collecting data and acting as laboratories so that we can understand whether the warm water in abandoned mines could be used to power Glasgow or other cities. It was commissioned by UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and was delivered by BGS, which runs the site and manages its data. A second observatory is proposed in Cheshire.
If we’re going to reach our net zero goals by 2050, we need a huge supply of clean energy.
This interactive exhibition examines just that and shows the major role that the subsurface will come to play in our future.
Visitors can interact with the science and technology that will shape energy in the future, touch a rock sample we took from 137 m below the surface of Glasgow and learn about the world-class science that’s taking place at the Glasgow geoenergy observatory in the east end.
Alison Robinson, NERC Deputy Executive Chair.
The new exhibition will be of interest to anyone keen to find out more about the use of geoenergy.
We designed it with the UK Geoenergy Observatories team so that it can travel to other science centres, museums and festivals in the UK, but for now it’s on show at Glasgow Science Centre.
Robin Hoyle, director of science at Glasgow Science Centre.
The Glasgow Observatory is part of a £31 million investment by the UK government through the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Find out more about the Glasgow Observatory by taking a virtual tour.
Related news
New research shows artificial intelligence earthquake tools forecast aftershock risk in seconds
25/11/2025
Researchers from BGS and the universities of Edinburgh and Padua created the forecasting tools, which were trained on real earthquakes around the world.
BGS welcomes publication of the UK Critical Minerals Strategy
23/11/2025
A clear strategic vision for the UK is crucial to secure the country’s long-term critical mineral supply chains and drive forward the Government’s economic growth agenda.
New funding awarded for UK geological storage research
21/11/2025
A project that aims to investigate the UK’s subsurface resource to support net zero has been awarded funding and is due to begin its research.
UK braced for what could be the largest solar storm in over two decades
12/11/2025
Intense geomagnetic activity could disrupt technology such as communication systems, global positioning systems and satellite orbits.
First distributed acoustic sensing survey completed at UK Geoenergy Observatory
12/11/2025
New research at the Cheshire Observatory has shown the potential for mapping thermal changes in the subsurface using sound waves.
Latest BGS Geology 50K mapping data launched
06/11/2025
Some of our most widely used maps have received a major update, including the 1:50 000-scale map series that now includes enhanced coverage of Great Britain.
New research highlights significant earthquake potential in Indonesia’s capital city
04/11/2025
Research reveals that a fault cutting through the subsurface of Jakarta could generate a damaging earthquake of high magnitude.
World Cities Day: the geological story of our cities
31/10/2025
Understanding the rocks that underlie our towns and cities, the risks they can present and how they influence urban planning and redevelopment.
GSNI project wins multiple awards at RegioStars event
17/10/2025
The AGEO project enjoyed a double success at the RegioStars awards, hosted at the European Commission in Brussels.
Extended seabed geology map of the Bristol Channel published
07/10/2025
BGS has released significantly extended high-resolution maps that will support offshore green-energy initiatives in the area.
Dr Angela Lamb appointed as honorary professor by the University of Nottingham
02/10/2025
Dr Lamb will take up the position of honorary professor of environmental geochemistry, with a focus on collaborative research.
New report sets pathway to reduce the impacts of geohazards in one of the world’s most hazard-prone nations
30/09/2025
A new White Paper, co-developed by Indonesian and UK hazard experts, presents a strategic roadmap to significantly reduce the impacts of geological hazards in Indonesia.