Shallow drilling in the Salton Sea region: The thermal anomaly

Journal Article · Thu Nov 10 00:00:00 EST 1988 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JB093iB11p13005· OSTI ID:6460738

Newmark, R L; Kasameyer, P W; Younker, L W

During two shallow thermal drilling programs, thermal measurements were obtained in 56 shallow (76.2 m) and one intermediate (457.3 m) depth holes located both onshore and offshore along the southern margin of the Salton Sea in the Imperial Valley, California. These data complete the surficial coverage of the thermal anomaly, revealing the shape and lateral extent of the hydrothermal system. The thermal data show the region of high thermal gradients to extend only a short distance offshore to the north of the Quaternary volcanic domes which are exposed along the southern shore of the Salton Sea. The central thermal anomaly has an arcuate shape, about 4 km wide and 12 km long. Across the center of the anomaly, the transition zone between locations exhibiting high thermal gradients and those exhibiting regional thermal gradients is quite narrow. Thermal gradients rise from near regional (0.09 /sup 0/C/m) to extreme (0.83 /sup 0/C/m) in only 2.4 km. The heat flow in the central part of the anomaly is greater than 600 mW/m/sup 2/ and in the two local anomalies exceeds 1200 mW/m/sup 2/. The shape of the thermal anomaly is asymmetric with respect to the line of volcanoes previously thought to represent the center of the field, with its center line offset south of the volcanic buttes. There is no broad thermal anomaly associated with the magnetic high that extends offshore to the northeast from the volcanic domes.

• Research Organization: Earth Sciences Department, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, Livermore
• OSTI ID: 6460738
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Vol. 93:B11
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
SALTON SEA
DRILLING
SALTON SEA GEOTHERMAL FIELD
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
HEAT FLOW
HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEMS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
THERMAL CONDUCTION
VOLCANOES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENERGY TRANSFER
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
HEAT TRANSFER
LAKES
SURFACE WATERS
150201* - Geology & Hydrology of Geothermal Systems- USA- (-1989)