Posted on 25 November 2025
In November, local residents played an important role in the University of York’s deep geothermal project by hosting seismic sensors, known as “nodes”, in their gardens.
The sensors formed part of a wider seismic survey carried out across Campus East and surrounding areas by specialist contractors Echo Geo. The survey is an important early step in the University’s deep geothermal project, helping to create a detailed 3D map of the ground and improve our understanding of the size, shape and depth of the geothermal reservoir beneath the campus.
To support the work and involve the local community, the University and Echo Geo invited households within the survey area to volunteer to host a node. The response was enthusiastic; 129 residents applied and 100 nodes were successfully deployed in gardens across the survey area.
Participants said they were keen to contribute to a project with clear local benefits:
“We received a leaflet through the door with advance notice of the project and thought it sounded like a good idea and we wanted to help if we could,” said the Smith household. “We like to hear what the local university is up to. This seemed a fun way to get involved.”
For some, the novelty was part of the appeal. “We thought it would be cool to have our own ‘gnode’ for a while!” said the Dale household.
Others were motivated by the project’s potential impact. The Frazer household shared that they wanted to support “our local university and potentially a new energy source for the community,” while the Stephens household added: “I’m hoping that in the future we can have a geothermal source for our local heat network.”
A huge thank you to all those who volunteered to host a sensor in their garden. With the survey now complete and all nodes collected, the data they recorded will be processed into a geological model which will build a detailed 3D map of the ground and help us understand the size, shape and depth of the geothermal reservoir beneath our feet.