Preliminary report on shallow research drilling in the Salton Sea region

Technical Report · Thu Jan 14 04:00:00 EST 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6662746· OSTI ID:6662746

Newmark, R L; Kasameyer, P W; Younker, L W

During two shallow thermal drilling programs, thermal measurements were obtained in 56 shallow (76.2 m) and one intermediate (457.3 m) depth holes located both onshore and offshore along the southern margin of the Salton Sea in the Imperial Valley, California. These data complete the surficial coverage of the thermal anomaly, revealing the shape and lateral extent of the hydrothermal system. The thermal data show the region of high thermal gradients to extend only a short distance offshore to the north of the Quaternary volcanic domes which are exposed along the southern shore of the Salton Sea. The central thermal anomaly has an arcuate shape, about 4 km wide and 12 km long. Across the center of the anomaly, the transition zone between locations exhibiting high thermal gradients and those exhibiting regional thermal gradients is quite narrow. Thermal gradients rise from near regional (0.09/degree/C/m) to extreme (0.83/degree/C/m) in only 2.4 km. The heat flow in the central part of the anomaly is greater than 600 mW/m/sup 2/ and in some areas exceeds 1200 mW/m/sup 2/. The shape of the thermal anomaly is asymmetric with respect to the line of volcanoes previously thought to represent the center of the field, with its center line offset south of the volcanic buttes. There is no broad thermal anomaly associated with the magnetic high that extends offshore to the northeast from the volcanic domes.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6662746
• Report Number(s): UCID-21484; ON: DE89003716
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
CALIFORNIA
DRILL CORES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EVALUATION
EXPLORATION
FEDERAL REGION IX
FLUIDS
GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
GEOTHERMAL FLUIDS
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
GEOTHERMAL WELLS
Geothermal Legacy
HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEMS
IMPERIAL VALLEY
INVESTIGATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
SALTON SEA GEOTHERMAL FIELD
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
SITE SURVEYS
TESTING
THERMAL ANALYSIS
USA
WELLS