Groundwater convection model for Rio Grande rift geothermal resources

Conference · Thu Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981 · Trans. - Geotherm. Resour. Counc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7098284

Morgan, P ^[1]; Harder, V; Swanberg, C A; Daggett, P H

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1. NASA Lunar and Planetary Inst., Houston, TX

It has been proposed that forced convection, driven by normal groundwater flow through the interconnected basins of the Rio Grande rift is the primary source mechanism for the numerous geothermal anomalies along the rift. A test of this concept using an analytical model indicates that significant forced convection must occur in the basins even if permeabilities are as low as 50 to 200 millidarcies at a depth of 2 km. Where groundwater flow is constricted at the discharge areas of the basins forced convection can locally increase the gradient to a level where free convection also occurs, generating surface heat flow anomalies 5 to 15 times background. A compilation of groundwater data for the rift basins shows a strong correlation between constrictions in groundwater flow and hot springs and geothermal anomalies, giving strong circumstantial support to the convection model.

• OSTI ID: 7098284
• Report Number(s): CONF-811015-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Trans. - Geotherm. Resour. Counc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150201* -- Geology & Hydrology of Geothermal Systems-- USA-- (-1989)
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
CONVECTION
FLOW MODELS
FORCED CONVECTION
GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
GROUND WATER
HOT SPRINGS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
RESOURCES
RIO GRANDE RIFT
THERMAL SPRINGS
WATER
WATER SPRINGS