Hydrology and geochemistry of thermal ground water in southwestern Idaho and north-central Nevada

Technical Report · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5407494· OSTI ID:5407494

Young, H W; Lewis, R E

Chemical analyses of water from 12 wells and 9 springs indicate that nonthermal waters are a calcium bicarbonate type; thermal waters are a sodium carbonate or bicarbonate type. Chemical geothermometers indicate probable maximum reservoir temperatures are near 100/sup 0/ Celsius. Concentration of tritium in the thermal water is near zero. Depletion of stable isotopes in the hot waters relative to present-day meteoric waters indicates recharge to the system probably occurred when the climate averaged 3/sup 0/ to 5/sup 0/ Celsius colder than at present. Temperatures about 3.5/sup 0/ Celsius colder than at present occurred during periods of recorded Holocene glacial advances and indicate a residence time of water in the system of at least several thousand years. Residence time calculated on the basis of reservoir volume and thermal-water discharge is 3400 to 6800 years for an effective reservoir porosity of 0.05 and 0.10, respectively. Preliminary analyses of carbon-14 determinations indicate an age of the hot waters of about 18,000 to 25,000 years. The proposed conceptual model for the area is one of an old system, where water has circulated for thousands, even tens of thousands, of years. Within constraints imposed by the model described, reservoir thermal energy for the geothermal system in southwestern Idaho and north-central Nevada is about 130 x 10/sup 18/ calories.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Boise, ID (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5407494
• Report Number(s): USGS-PP-1044-J; ON: DE84900522
• 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
CHEMISTRY
FEDERAL REGION IX
FEDERAL REGION X
GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS
GEOCHEMISTRY
GROUND WATER
Geothermal Legacy
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
IDAHO
NEVADA
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SURVEYS
THERMAL WATERS
USA
WATER