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Title: Geodetic measurements and numerical models of transient deformation at Raft River geothermal field, Idaho, USA

Abstract

Here, we perform synthetic aperture radar interferometry using data acquired between 2004 and 2016 by the Envisat, and ALOS-2 satellite missions to measure transient deformation at the Raft River geothermal field in Cassia County in Southern Idaho where geothermal production began in late 2007. Time-series analysis of multiple interferometric pairs indicates uplift at an exponentially decaying rate, over an ~8 km-by-5 km area centered near three injection wells that recycle produced brine. Similarly, subsidence at an exponentially decaying rate is observed in a 4 km-by-4 km area west of the production wells. These two signatures stay in the same location in all of the well-correlated Envisat interferometric pairs spanning the time interval between 2007 and 2010. The boundary separating the uplifting and subsiding areas is associated with the steeply dipping Bridge fault zone. Using two-dimensional numerical models, we explore first-order, bi-directional coupling between hydrological and mechanical processes. Our results suggest that: (i) most of the deformation occurs due to pore pressure changes following the start of geothermal production, (ii) the rate of deformation decays to zero over a time scale on the order of ~5 years as the system reaches steady state, and (iii) a reservoir-scale permeability of the ordermore » of ~1E–14 m2 is required to explain the transient deformation.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]; ORCiD logo [6]; ORCiD logo [2]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); AIR-Worldwide, Boston, MA (United States)
  2. Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
  3. Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
  4. Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
  5. US Geothermal Inc., Boise, ID (United States)
  6. Temple Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Geothermal Technologies Office; National Science Foundation (NSF)
OSTI Identifier:
1630100
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1693607
Grant/Contract Number:  
EE0006760; EE0005510; EAR-1347190; DGE-1256259
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Geothermics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 74; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0375-6505
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY; InSAR

Citation Formats

Ali, Syed T., Reinisch, Elena C., Moore, Joseph, Plummer, Mitchell, Warren, Ian, Davatzes, Nicholas C., and Feigl, Kurt L. Geodetic measurements and numerical models of transient deformation at Raft River geothermal field, Idaho, USA. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1016/j.geothermics.2018.02.007.
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Ali, Syed T., Reinisch, Elena C., Moore, Joseph, Plummer, Mitchell, Warren, Ian, Davatzes, Nicholas C., & Feigl, Kurt L. Geodetic measurements and numerical models of transient deformation at Raft River geothermal field, Idaho, USA. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2018.02.007
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Ali, Syed T., Reinisch, Elena C., Moore, Joseph, Plummer, Mitchell, Warren, Ian, Davatzes, Nicholas C., and Feigl, Kurt L. Mon . "Geodetic measurements and numerical models of transient deformation at Raft River geothermal field, Idaho, USA". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2018.02.007. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1630100.
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@article{osti_1630100,
title = {Geodetic measurements and numerical models of transient deformation at Raft River geothermal field, Idaho, USA},
author = {Ali, Syed T. and Reinisch, Elena C. and Moore, Joseph and Plummer, Mitchell and Warren, Ian and Davatzes, Nicholas C. and Feigl, Kurt L.},
abstractNote = {Here, we perform synthetic aperture radar interferometry using data acquired between 2004 and 2016 by the Envisat, and ALOS-2 satellite missions to measure transient deformation at the Raft River geothermal field in Cassia County in Southern Idaho where geothermal production began in late 2007. Time-series analysis of multiple interferometric pairs indicates uplift at an exponentially decaying rate, over an ~8 km-by-5 km area centered near three injection wells that recycle produced brine. Similarly, subsidence at an exponentially decaying rate is observed in a 4 km-by-4 km area west of the production wells. These two signatures stay in the same location in all of the well-correlated Envisat interferometric pairs spanning the time interval between 2007 and 2010. The boundary separating the uplifting and subsiding areas is associated with the steeply dipping Bridge fault zone. Using two-dimensional numerical models, we explore first-order, bi-directional coupling between hydrological and mechanical processes. Our results suggest that: (i) most of the deformation occurs due to pore pressure changes following the start of geothermal production, (ii) the rate of deformation decays to zero over a time scale on the order of ~5 years as the system reaches steady state, and (iii) a reservoir-scale permeability of the order of ~1E–14 m2 is required to explain the transient deformation.},
doi = {10.1016/j.geothermics.2018.02.007},
journal = {Geothermics},
number = C,
volume = 74,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Mon Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2018.02.007
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Spatio–Temporal Analysis of Deformation at San Emidio Geothermal Field, Nevada, USA Between 1992 and 2010
    journal, August 2019

    • Reinisch, Elena C.; Cardiff, Michael; Akerley, John
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    • DOI: 10.3390/rs11161935

    Inferring Geothermal Reservoir Processes at the Raft River Geothermal Field, Idaho, USA, Through Modeling InSAR-Measured Surface Deformation
    journal, May 2018

    • Liu, Fang; Fu, Pengcheng; Mellors, Robert J.
    • Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 123, Issue 5
    • DOI: 10.1029/2017jb015223

    Wastewater leakage in West Texas revealed by satellite radar imagery and numerical modeling
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