Imperial Valley Environmental Project: progress report

Technical Report · Wed Oct 19 00:00:00 EDT 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7216074· OSTI ID:7216074

Phelps, P L; Anspaugh, L R ^[1]

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1. eds.

Progress is reported in six areas of research: air quality, water quality, ecosystem quality, subsidence and seismicity, socioeconomic effects, and integrated assessment. A major goal of the air quality element is to evaluate the rate of emission of H/sub 2/S, CO/sub 2/, H/sub 2/, N/sub 2/, CH/sub 4/, and C/sub 2/H/sub 6/ from the operation of the geothermal loop experimental facility at Niland. Concentrations of H/sub 2/S were found to vary between 1500 to 4900 ppM by volume at the Niland facility. To distinguish between geothermal fluids and other waters, extensive sampling networks were established. A major accomplishment was the installation of a high-resolution subsidence-detection network in the Salton Sea geothermal field area, centered on the test facility at Niland. A major effort went into establishing a background of data needed for subsequent impact assessments related to socioeconomic issues raised by geothermal developments. Underway are a set of geothermal energy scenarios that include power development schedules, technology characterizations, and considerations of power-plant-siting criteria. A Gaussian air-pollution model was modified for use in preliminary air-quality assessments. A crop-growth model was developed to evaluate impacts of gases released from geothermal operations on various agricultural crops. Work is also reported on the legal analysis of geothermal legislation and the legal aspects of water-supply utilization. Remote sensing was directed primarily at the Salton Sea, Heber, Brawley, and East Mesa KGRAs. However, large-format photography of the entire Salton Trough was completed. Thermal and multispectral imaging was done for several selected sites in the Salton Sea KGRA. (JGB)

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 7216074
• Report Number(s): UCRL-50044-76-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
COMPUTER CODES
I CODES
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
GEOTHERMAL FLUIDS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
HEBER GEOTHERMAL FIELD
REMOTE SENSING
IMPERIAL VALLEY
BASELINE ECOLOGY
GROUND SUBSIDENCE
SALTON SEA GEOTHERMAL FIELD
AIR QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
AIR POLLUTION
CARBON DIOXIDE
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CROPS
ETHANE
GASES
GROUND WATER
GROWTH
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
KGRA
LEGAL ASPECTS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METHANE
NITROGEN
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SAMPLING
ALKANES
CALIFORNIA
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
ECOLOGY
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
USA
WATER
WESTERN REGION
Geothermal Legacy
150600* - Geothermal Energy- Environmental Aspects
150400 - Geothermal Energy- Legislation & Regulations