Let us say we were pleased. We have worked very hard to obtain interesting, high-quality articles that our geothermal colleagues will want to read and refer to. As this was our final objective it has not come as a total surprise.

We have recently published worldwide overviews of geothermal development in electricity generation and non-electric utilizations, which are always popular with our colleagues and with anyone working in the energy sector. We have also published papers on ground-source heat pumps, which are a booming sector of geothermal energy utilization, and some articles on innovative research techniques and methods. A recent study on the possibility of sequestering CO₂ in geothermal reservoirs has also attracted readers.

I (Marcelo speaking) took over as editor-in-chief three years ago (January 2004). Of course, I knew the journal was a point of reference for the geothermal community worldwide, and had been since it was first published over 35 years ago, because I have been working in geothermal about 30 years myself. But times have changed. All the major geothermal fields have probably already been "discovered" and thoroughly investigated, so there are not many articles being written nowadays on exploration and development activities.

On the other hand, scientists in universities or in government-funded organizations are now discouraged from dedicating time to pure research, and are instead pressured to obtain funds by conducting surveys and research for the private sector. In addition, industry itself tends to keep most of its data confidential.

The final outcome is that the people working in geothermal research rarely have the time needed to prepare a high-quality R&D paper. So, one of our tasks, by which we mean the entire Geothermics editorial team, has been to convince colleagues all over the world to find the time in a very busy schedule to write about their research findings.

Our Editorial and Advisory Boards have been responsive to our pleas to lobby their colleagues; we have brought on board more reviewers; and we have made a few cosmetic changes, such as a more attractive cover beginning with the 2005 volume, and new cover photographs every year.

   What historical factors have contributed to the success of Geothermics?

As mentioned earlier, the world geothermal community has traditionally regarded the journal as the main outlet for disseminating its results or the state of the art in geothermal methodology. Geothermics operates under the auspices of the International Geothermal Association and the Geothermal Resources Council, whose members include every country currently exploiting or investigating its geothermal resources, practically every commercial geothermal operator, and every local geothermal association. The members consider Geothermics as their house journal.

We are all, whether scientists or laymen, much more aware nowadays of the threat to the environment, the high cost of fossil fuels, and the diminishing resources. So anything that deals with renewable and alternative energy is of interest: heat pumps, district heating, and electric and non-electric applications of geothermal energy in general. Recent studies on the sequestration of CO₂ have also attracted readers.

The two main objectives of Geothermics are to keep the worldwide earth sciences and engineering community informed about the latest in geothermal research and development, and to disseminate data and the experience gained during the exploration, development, and exploitation of geothermal resources. The intention is to make it easier for anyone interested in geothermal energy to gain access to such information.

The geothermal community is focussing its efforts on developing better and cheaper geothermal drilling, exploration, and data interpretation techniques; more efficient energy conversion methods; improved stimulation techniques aimed at increasing the productivity of wells and/or creating permeability in subsurface hot rocks; and methods to reduce or avoid any environmental impact that may be related to geothermal energy development.

In the field of electricity generation, there will be more research at greater depths, more studies directed at CO₂ sequestration, and a new look at combined systems, which use geothermal fluids, waste heat, etc. In the non-electric sector, geothermal (ground source) heat pumps will become even more popular and more widespread, and combined systems or "diversity" will be the preferred option over all-out investment in wind farms or solar systems. The big apartment buildings of the future will have geothermal heat pumps built into the foundations and solar panels on the roofs, as will public buildings such as schools, hospitals, and government offices.

We will continue to disseminate the results of geothermal research and development, and inform our readers of innovative technology and methods. We will keep promoting geothermal energy as an integrative form of energy, as a renewable alternative to fossil fuels that has a very limited or negligible impact on the environment.