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Title: Geochemistry Sampling for Traditional and Multicomponent Equilibrium Geothermometry in Southeast Idaho

Abstract

The Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) is an area of high regional heat flux due the movement of the North American Plate over the Yellowstone Hotspot beginning ca.16 Ma. Temperature gradients between 45-60 °C/km (up to double the global average) have been calculated from deep wells that penetrate the upper aquifer system (Blackwell 1989). Despite the high geothermal potential, thermal signatures from hot springs and wells are effectively masked by the rapid flow of cold groundwater through the highly permeable basalts of the Eastern Snake River Plain aquifer (ESRPA) (up to 500+ m thick). This preliminary study is part of an effort to more accurately predict temperatures of the ESRP deep thermal reservoir while accounting for the effects of the prolific cold water aquifer system above. This study combines the use of traditional geothermometry, mixing models, and a multicomponent equilibrium geothermometry (MEG) tool to investigate the geothermal potential of the ESRP. In March, 2014, a collaborative team including members of the University of Idaho, the Idaho National Laboratory, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory collected 14 thermal water samples from and adjacent to the Eastern Snake River Plain. The preliminary results of chemical analyses and geothermometry applied to these samplesmore » are presented herein.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4]
  1. Univ. of Idaho, Idaho Falls, ID (United States). Center for Advanced Studies
  2. Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States). Center for Advanced Studies
  3. Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
  4. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Geothermal Technologies Office
OSTI Identifier:
1177222
Report Number(s):
INL/CON-14-32242
TRN: US1500152
DOE Contract Number:  
AC07-05ID14517
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: 38. GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo, Portland, OR (United States), 28 Sep - 1 Oct 2014
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY; GROUND WATER; IDAHO; GEOTHERMOMETRY; SNAKE RIVER PLAIN; GEOCHEMISTRY; HOT SPRINGS; AQUIFERS; EQUILIBRIUM; WELLS; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; HEAT FLUX; TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS; GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES; Eastern Snake River Plain; Geothermal; Geothermometry; RTEst

Citation Formats

Cannon, Cody, Wood, Thomas, Neupane, Ghanashyam, McLing, Travis, Mattson, Earl, Dobson, Patrick, and Conrad, Mark. Geochemistry Sampling for Traditional and Multicomponent Equilibrium Geothermometry in Southeast Idaho. United States: N. p., 2014. Web.
Cannon, Cody, Wood, Thomas, Neupane, Ghanashyam, McLing, Travis, Mattson, Earl, Dobson, Patrick, & Conrad, Mark. Geochemistry Sampling for Traditional and Multicomponent Equilibrium Geothermometry in Southeast Idaho. United States.
Cannon, Cody, Wood, Thomas, Neupane, Ghanashyam, McLing, Travis, Mattson, Earl, Dobson, Patrick, and Conrad, Mark. 2014. "Geochemistry Sampling for Traditional and Multicomponent Equilibrium Geothermometry in Southeast Idaho". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1177222.
@article{osti_1177222,
title = {Geochemistry Sampling for Traditional and Multicomponent Equilibrium Geothermometry in Southeast Idaho},
author = {Cannon, Cody and Wood, Thomas and Neupane, Ghanashyam and McLing, Travis and Mattson, Earl and Dobson, Patrick and Conrad, Mark},
abstractNote = {The Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) is an area of high regional heat flux due the movement of the North American Plate over the Yellowstone Hotspot beginning ca.16 Ma. Temperature gradients between 45-60 °C/km (up to double the global average) have been calculated from deep wells that penetrate the upper aquifer system (Blackwell 1989). Despite the high geothermal potential, thermal signatures from hot springs and wells are effectively masked by the rapid flow of cold groundwater through the highly permeable basalts of the Eastern Snake River Plain aquifer (ESRPA) (up to 500+ m thick). This preliminary study is part of an effort to more accurately predict temperatures of the ESRP deep thermal reservoir while accounting for the effects of the prolific cold water aquifer system above. This study combines the use of traditional geothermometry, mixing models, and a multicomponent equilibrium geothermometry (MEG) tool to investigate the geothermal potential of the ESRP. In March, 2014, a collaborative team including members of the University of Idaho, the Idaho National Laboratory, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory collected 14 thermal water samples from and adjacent to the Eastern Snake River Plain. The preliminary results of chemical analyses and geothermometry applied to these samples are presented herein.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1177222}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}

Conference:
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