Dr Alison Monaghan

Alison Monaghan’s biography

• 2023 to present: Head of Geothermal, British Geological Survey
• 2016 to 2023: Science Lead, UK Geoenergy Observatory, Glasgow
• 1997 to present: Geologist and from 2017 Principal Geologist, British Geological Survey
• 1997: PhD University of Edinburgh
• 1994: MA (Hons) University of Cambridge, Geological Sciences

Research interests

• UK geothermal datasets, resources and sustainability
• Mine water geothermal energy and underground thermal storage science, regulation, resources, environmental impacts
• Basin analysis, 3D geological modelling & uncertainty for geoenergy resources
• The crowded subsurface and geoenergy; multiple sources of anthropogenic change, characterisation, monitoring, impact, regulation
• Carboniferous geochronology, stratigraphy and tectonics
• Urban and coalfield geology

Current projects and collaborations

• Delivery of national geothermal data and information to support wider deployment of geothermal technologies in GB and contribute to clean energy and economic growth
• Maintaining and developing the UK Geothermal Platform, working with UK Government, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)
• Collaborating with IEA geothermal and DESNZ as UK alternate delegate
• Delivering a ‘Commercialising Knowledge Assets Fund’ grant on geothermal energy data products

Publications

• Monaghan, A, Gonzalez Quiros, A, Callaghan, E, Receveur, M, Starcher, V, Walker Verkuil, K, Van Hunen, J, and Mouli Castillo, J. 2026. Influence of Mine Geometry and Working Type on Geothermal Exploitation and Thermal Storage. Mine Water and the Environment.
• Monaghan, A A, Adams, C A, Bell, R A, Lewis, M A, Boon, D, Gonzalez Quiros, A, Starcher, V,  Farr, G, Wyatt, L M, Todd, F,  Walker-Verkuil, K, MacAllister, D J,  Abesser, C, Palumbo-Roe, B, and Scheidegger, J. 2024. Geological factors in the sustainable management of mine water heating, cooling and thermal storage resources in the UK.  Proceedings of the 1st Energy Geoscience Conference.
• Monaghan A A, Millward, D, Kearsey, T I, Browne, M A E, and Leslie, A G. 2024. Chapter 10: Carboniferous: oblique-slip basins, intraplate magmatism and the Variscan Orogeny  Geology of Scotland, 5^th Edition.
• Smith M, Butler, P, Gillespie, M R, Haszeldine, S R, Jones, D, Monaghan A A, and Rice, C M. 2024. Chapter 17: Scotland’s mineral, water and energy resources: building a low-carbon future.  Geology of Scotland, 5^th Edition.
• Monaghan, A, and Spence, M. 2023. Decarbonising heat via the subsurface. Geoscientist.
• Monaghan, A A, Bateson, L, Boyce, A J, Burnside, N M, Chambers, R, de Rezende, J R, Dunnet, E, Everett, P A, Gilfillan, S M V, Jibrin, M S, Johnson, G, Luckett, R, MacAllister, D J, MacDonald, A M, Moreau, J W, Newsome, L, Novellino, A, Palumbo-Roe, B, Pereira, R, Smith, D, Spence, M J, Starcher, V, Taylor-Curran, H, Vane, C H, Wagner, T and Walls, D B. 2022. Time Zero for Net Zero: A Coal Mine Baseline for Decarbonising Heat. Earth Science, Systems and Society.
• Monaghan, Alison A, Starcher, V, Barron, H F, Shorter, K, Walker-Verkuil, K, Elsome, J, Kearsey, T, Arkley, S, Hannis, S and Callaghan, E. 2021. Drilling into mines for heat: geological synthesis of the UK Geoenergy Observatory in Glasgow and implications for mine water heat resources. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology.
• Monaghan, A A, Underhill, J R, Marshall, J E A and Hewett, A J. 2018. Paleozoic plays of NW Europe: an introduction. Geological Society , London, Special Publications, 471.
• Monaghan, A A. 2017. Unconventional energy resources in a crowded subsurface: Reducing uncertainty and developing a separation zone concept for resource estimation and deep 3D subsurface planning using legacy mining data. Science of the Total Environment, vol 601-602, 45-56.
• Monaghan, A A, Arsenikos, S, Quinn, M F, Johnson, K R, Vincent, C J, Vane, C H, Kim, A W, Uguna, C N, Hannis, S D, Gent, C M A, Millward, D, Kearsey, T I and Williamson, J P. 2017. Carboniferous petroleum systems around the Mid North Sea High. Journal of Marine and Petroleum Geology, 88C, 282-302
• Monaghan, A A. 2014. The Carboniferous shales of the Midland Valley of Scotland: geology and resource estimation. British Geological Survey for Department of Energy and Climate Change, London, UK.
• Monaghan, A A, Browne, M A E and Barfod, D N. 2014. An improved chronology for the Arthur’s Seat volcano and Carboniferous magmatism of the Midland Valley of Scotland. Scottish Journal of Geology, 50, 165-172
• Monaghan, A A, Ford, J, Milodowski, A, McInroy, D, Pharaoh, T, Rushton, J, Browne, M, Cooper, A, Hulbert, A and Napier, B. 2012. New insights from 3D geological models at analogue CO₂ storage sites in Lincolnshire and eastern Scotland, UK. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, 59 (1). 53-76.
• Underhill, J R, Monaghan, A A and Browne, M A E. 2008. Controls on Structural Styles, Basin Development and Petroleum Prospectivity in the Midland Valley of Scotland. Journal of Marine and Petroleum Geology, 25, 1000–1022.
• Merritt, J E, Monaghan, A A, Entwisle, D C, Hughes, A G, Campbell, S D G and Browne, M A E. 2007. 3D attributed models for addressing environmental and engineering geoscience problems in areas of urban regeneration: a case study in Glasgow, UK. First Break, 25, 79–84
• Monaghan, A A and Parrish, R R. 2006. Geochronology of Carboniferous – Permian volcanism in the Midland Valley of Scotland: implications for regional tectono-magmatic evolution and the numerical timescale. Journal of the Geological Society of London, 163, 15–28.

Published outputs

• NERC Open Research Archive — Dr Alison Monaghan

Skills

• Project leadership for industry, Government and academic partners
• Geoenergy data sharing and accessibility
• Mine water geothermal energy subsurface planning, characterisation, monitoring
• Basin analysis, 3D modelling, monitoring in geoenergy, urban geology, coalfields
• Central Scotland & North Sea Carboniferous stratigraphy and geochronology

Professional associations

• Fellow of The Geological Society, London and Edinburgh Geological Society.
• 2002 : Chartered Geologist
• 2021 : MBE for services to geology
• 2022: Coke Medal of The Geological Society, London