Thermal springs in the Salmon River basin, central Idaho

Technical Report · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5224505· OSTI ID:5224505

Young, H W; Lewis, R E

The Salmon River basin within the study area occupies an area of approximately 13,000 square miles in central Idaho. Geologic units in the basin are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks; however, granitic rocks of the Idaho batholith are predominant. Water from thermal springs ranges in temperature from 20.5/sup 0/ to 94.0/sup 0/ Celsius. The waters are slightly alkaline and are generally a sodium carbonate or bicarbonate type. Dissolved-solids concentrations are variable and range from 103 to 839 milligrams per liter. Estimated reservoir temperatures determined from the silicic acid-corrected silica, sodium-potassium-calcium, and sulfate-water isotope geothermometers range from 30/sup 0/ to 184/sup 0/ Celsius. Tritium concentrations in sampled thermal waters are near zero and indicate the waters are at least 100 years old. Stable-isotope data indicate it is unlikely that a single hot-water reservoir supplies hot springs in the basin. Thermal springs discharged at least 15,800 acre-feet of water in 1980. Associated convective heat flux is 2.7 x 10/sup 7/ calories per second.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Boise, ID (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5224505
• Report Number(s): USGS-OFR-82-104; ON: DE84900487
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150201* -- Geology & Hydrology of Geothermal Systems-- USA-- (-1989)
150302 -- Geothermal Exploration & Exploration Technology-- Geochemical Techniques & Surveys
ACID CARBONATES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CHEMISTRY
DEUTERIUM
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEDERAL REGION X
GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS
GEOLOGY
GEOTHERMOMETRY
GROUND WATER
Geothermal Legacy
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
HYDROLOGY
IDAHO
IGNEOUS ROCKS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OXYGEN 18
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SODIUM CARBONATES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
STABLE ISOTOPES
SURVEYS
THERMAL SPRINGS
THERMAL WATERS
TRITIUM
USA
WATER
WATER CHEMISTRY
WATER SPRINGS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES