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Title: Preliminary assessment of the geothermal resource potential of the Yuma area, Arizona

Abstract

The Yuma area has had a long and complex tectonic history. The most southwesterly corner of the area presently comprises a small segment of the Salton Trough, a deep sediment-filled structural depression. Known geothermal anomalies in the Salton Trough make the Yuma area a favorable exploration target even though spreading-center heat sources are not expected to occur there. Geological and geophysical investigations reveal that the area is made up of low, rugged northwest-trending mountains separated by deep sediment-filled basins. Relief is a result of both erosional and structural activity. Northwest-trending en-echelon faults bound the range fronts and the basins, and have created several horst blocks (basement highs) that crop out at or near the surface. The Algodonnes fault is inferred to represent the northeast margin of the Salton Trough and apparently an inactive extension of the San Andreas fault system. Extensive well-pumping and applications of irrigation waters in recent years have created an unnatural state of flux in the hydrologic regime in the Yuma area. Gravity and aeromagnetic anomalies trend strongly northwest through the region as do lineaments derived from Landsat and Skylab photos. Electrical resistivity values in the Bouse Formation are exceptionally low, about 3 ohn-m. Heat flow appearsmore » to be normal for the Basin and Range province. Ground-water temperatures indicate zones of rising warm water, with one such warm anomaly confirmed by sparse geothermal-gradient data.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology, Tucson (USA). Geothermal Group
OSTI Identifier:
6951323
Report Number(s):
DOE/ID/12009-T3
ON: DE82021571
DOE Contract Number:  
FC07-79ID12009
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions of document are illegible
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY; ARIZONA; GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES; RESOURCE ASSESSMENT; GEOCHEMISTRY; GEOLOGIC FAULTS; GEOLOGIC HISTORY; GEOPHYSICS; GEOTHERMAL GRADIENTS; HEAT FLOW; RESOURCE POTENTIAL; CHEMISTRY; FEDERAL REGION IX; GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES; NORTH AMERICA; RESOURCES; TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS; USA; Geothermal Legacy; 150201* - Geology & Hydrology of Geothermal Systems- USA- (-1989); 150300 - Geothermal Exploration & Exploration Technology; 150101 - Geothermal Energy- Resources & Availability- USA- (-1989)

Citation Formats

Stone, C. Preliminary assessment of the geothermal resource potential of the Yuma area, Arizona. United States: N. p., 1981. Web. doi:10.2172/6951323.
Stone, C. Preliminary assessment of the geothermal resource potential of the Yuma area, Arizona. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6951323
Stone, C. 1981. "Preliminary assessment of the geothermal resource potential of the Yuma area, Arizona". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6951323. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6951323.
@article{osti_6951323,
title = {Preliminary assessment of the geothermal resource potential of the Yuma area, Arizona},
author = {Stone, C},
abstractNote = {The Yuma area has had a long and complex tectonic history. The most southwesterly corner of the area presently comprises a small segment of the Salton Trough, a deep sediment-filled structural depression. Known geothermal anomalies in the Salton Trough make the Yuma area a favorable exploration target even though spreading-center heat sources are not expected to occur there. Geological and geophysical investigations reveal that the area is made up of low, rugged northwest-trending mountains separated by deep sediment-filled basins. Relief is a result of both erosional and structural activity. Northwest-trending en-echelon faults bound the range fronts and the basins, and have created several horst blocks (basement highs) that crop out at or near the surface. The Algodonnes fault is inferred to represent the northeast margin of the Salton Trough and apparently an inactive extension of the San Andreas fault system. Extensive well-pumping and applications of irrigation waters in recent years have created an unnatural state of flux in the hydrologic regime in the Yuma area. Gravity and aeromagnetic anomalies trend strongly northwest through the region as do lineaments derived from Landsat and Skylab photos. Electrical resistivity values in the Bouse Formation are exceptionally low, about 3 ohn-m. Heat flow appears to be normal for the Basin and Range province. Ground-water temperatures indicate zones of rising warm water, with one such warm anomaly confirmed by sparse geothermal-gradient data.},
doi = {10.2172/6951323},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6951323}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1981},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1981}
}