Geothermal investigations in Idaho. Part 12. Stable isotopic evaluation of thermal water occurrences in the Weiser and Little Salmon River drainage basins and adjacent areas, west-central Idaho with attendant gravity and magnetic data on the Weiser area

Technical Report · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6067633· OSTI ID:6067633

Mitchell, J C; Bideganeta, K; Palmer, M A

Fifteen thermal springs, two thermal wells, and eight cold springs in the Weiser and Little Salmon river drainages were sampled for deuterium and oxygen-18 analysis during the fall of 1981. The straight-line fit of delta D and delta /sup 18/O versus latitude and longitude observed in the data is what would be expected if the recharge areas for the thermal and non-thermal waters were in close proximity to their respective discharge points. The discrete values of delta D and delta /sup 18/O for each thermal discharge suggest that none of the sampled thermal systems have common sources. The depleted deuterium and oxygen-18 contents of most thermal relative to non-thermal waters sampled suggests that the thermal waters might be Pleistocene age precipitation. The isotopic data suggest little or no evidence for mixing of thermal and non-thermal water for the sampled discharges. Thermal waters from Weiser, Crane Creek, Cove Creek, and White Licks hot springs show enrichment in oxygen-18 suggesting that these waters have been at elevated temperatures relative to other sampled thermal discharges in the area. Gravity and magnetic data gathered by the Idaho State University Geology Department in the Weiser Hot Springs area suggest that southeastward plunging synclinal-anticlinal couples, which underlie the hot springs, are cut south of the springs by a northeast trending boundary fault.

• Research Organization: Idaho Dept. of Water Resources, Boise (USA); Idaho State Univ., Pocatello (USA). Dept. of Geology
• DOE Contract Number: AS07-77ET28407
• OSTI ID: 6067633
• Report Number(s): DOE/ET/28407-T4; ON: DE85007327
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
DEUTERIUM
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEDERAL REGION X
GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
GRAVITY SURVEYS
Geothermal Legacy
HOT SPRINGS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
IDAHO
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MAGNETIC SURVEYS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OXYGEN 18
OXYGEN ISOTOPES
SAMPLING
STABLE ISOTOPES
SURVEYS
THERMAL SPRINGS
THERMAL WATERS
USA
WATER SPRINGS
WATER WELLS
WELLS