Projects per year
Personal profile
Interests
The overarching theme of my research activities is the characterisation of complex geohydrological and environmental systems across multiple scales with an emphasis of better understanding the underlying governing processes and the potential impacts to the environment and human health.
My Research Interests include:
- Fractured Bedrock Hydrogeology
- Catchment Hydrology/Hydrogeology
- Hydrogeophysics
- Isotope Hydrology/Geochemistry
- Geothermal Energy Systems
- Bioaccessibility of Potentially Harmful Elements
- Contaminant Fate & Transport / Numerical Modeling
- Sustainable Finance
Current and recent Consortium Research Projects across the above areas with partners from across the UK, Ireland and the EU as well as the US, Brazil, sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia have been supported by National (e.g., NERC, EPSRC, RAEng, British Council/UK, EPA & SFI/RoI) and International Research Funders (e.g. EU Horizon/EuropeAid/PeacePlus, NSF/USA, CONFAP & FAPESP/BR).
Other
PhD in Hydrogeology (Dr. sc.nat.), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zürich (CH)
Diploma (BSc & MRes) in Applied Geology, Christian-Ahlbrechts-Universität, Kiel (FRG) & Universiteit Gent, Ghent (B)
Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching (PGCHET), Queen's University Belfast, Belfast (UK)
Teaching
My teaching activities include the coordination and delivery of both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching modules as part of the School's Civil Engineering Programmes as well as specific MSc programmes. I am currently the School’s Director of Education (Postgraduate) and have previously been the Course Director for the MSc Environmental Engineering Programme for a number of years.
Current and Recent Teaching Activities at QUB include:
- Engineering Hydrology & Hydrogeology
- Land, Water & Air Quality
- Computer Modelling of Contaminant Transport
- Environmental Engineering
- Sustainability Management
- Introduction to Renewable Energy Technologies
Examples of External Teaching Activities include international Training programmes for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as well as Training and Short Courses on Hydrogeology & Groundwater Modelling and Hydrogeophysics at international partner institutions in the US, Brazil and sub-Saharan Africa.
Current and Recent Administrative Teaching Roles include:
Director of Education (PGT), School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen's University Belfast
Programme Director MSc Environmental Engineering, Queen's University Belfast
External Examiner for MSc Applied Environmental Geology Programme, University College Cork
External Examiner for MSc Marine and Freshwater Resources Programme, University of Galway
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
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SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
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SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
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SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
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SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
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SDG 13 Climate Action
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SDG 15 Life on Land
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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R1745NBE: ThermoCal - Thermogeology of Caledonian terranes to derisk geothermal development
Ofterdinger, U. (PI)
16/12/2024 → …
Project: Research
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R6813NBE: Geothermal Energy Momentum on the IslaNd of Ireland (GEMINI)
Ofterdinger, U. (PI), Downey, H. (CoI), Li, C. (CoI), Palmer, M. (CoI) & Zhang, M. (CoI)
01/10/2024 → …
Project: Research
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R3398NBE: Geophyscial Characterisation of Stormont Estate
Ofterdinger, U. (PI)
03/10/2022 → …
Project: Research
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Delineation of radiological hazard zones in El-Missikat and El-Erediya granites, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt: utilizing integrated airborne gamma-ray spectrometry and remote sensing data
Shereif, A. S., Shebl , A., Dawoud, M., Abdellatif, M., Ofterdinger, U. & Csámer, Á., 15 Sept 2026, (Early online date) In: Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile7 Downloads (Pure) -
Evaluating the impact of foundational large model SAM3 on remote sensing sea-land segmentation
He, X., Bai, L., Jurek-Loughrey, A., Ofterdinger, U., Monaghan, J. & Wang, Z., 22 Apr 2026, (Accepted) 36th Irish Signals and Systems Conference (ISSC): Proceedings . IEEE, 6 p. (Irish Signals and Systems Conference (ISSC): Proceedings).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
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Interpreting magnetic anomalies in dike swarms: deterministic and probabilistic approaches
Cavalcante, F. L., Mendonça, C. A., Ofterdinger, U. S. & Cooper, M., Jun 2026, In: Pure and Applied Geophysics. 183, 6, p. 2891–2909 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile11 Downloads (Pure) -
Numerical simulation of ATES systems performance in the Permo-Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group
Oguntade, S., Ofterdinger, U., Comte, J.-C., Gee, R., Kynaston, M. & Raine, R., 2026.Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
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Thermal conductivity of Caledonian rocks in Scotland and Northern Ireland - review of existing data
Banks, D., Watson, S. M. & Ofterdinger, U., 16 Sept 2026, (Early online date) In: Scottish Journal of Geology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access
Prizes
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QUB Engaged Research Fund for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) £2782.00
Palmer, M. (Recipient), Ireland, J. (Recipient), Ofterdinger, U. (Recipient) & Zhang, M. (Recipient), 13 Apr 2022
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Impacts
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Building the institutional infrastructure for the geothermal sector in Northern Ireland
Palmer, M. (Participant), Ireland, J. (Participant), Ofterdinger, U. (Participant) & Zhang, M. (Participant)
Impact: Public Policy Impact, Environmental Impact, Societial Impact
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Net zero pathways report EMAIL feedback from Head of Policy, Scotland.
Palmer, M. (Participant), Ireland, J. (Participant), Ofterdinger, U. (Participant) & Zhang, M. (Participant)
Impact