How to assess a Potential Geothermal Resource
I found this article @ Renewable Energy World
Very useful for qualifying potential generation sites
-Editor
by Karl Gawell
Q: I live near a geothermal hot spring. Does that mean that there are geothermal power resources underground? How do I go about finding out? -- John from Moscow, Idaho
A:
Hi John. Thanks for your inquiry. I wish I could take a look at the spring. I came across one on a mesa just off a bike trail in the desert in New Mexico, and it was quite a beautiful sight. There was boiling water on the surface and all kinds of mineral deposits in and around the spring with patches of different colors. The best answer I can give you to the first part of your question is a definite maybe. I would say that the chances are pretty good that you live near a geothermal resource. However, whether or not it is a resource that could be used for electrical power would require further exploration. For a geothermal power resource you really need three things: 1. Hot water (do you happen to know the temperature of the spring?) 2. Permeability in the rock, and 3. Both of these attributes at a depth that is economically reachable. To find out if your spring sits atop a resource with those attributes, there are a number of places you can look.
Websites such as
Very useful for qualifying potential generation sites
-Editor
by Karl Gawell
Q: I live near a geothermal hot spring. Does that mean that there are geothermal power resources underground? How do I go about finding out? -- John from Moscow, Idaho
A:
Hi John. Thanks for your inquiry. I wish I could take a look at the spring. I came across one on a mesa just off a bike trail in the desert in New Mexico, and it was quite a beautiful sight. There was boiling water on the surface and all kinds of mineral deposits in and around the spring with patches of different colors. The best answer I can give you to the first part of your question is a definite maybe. I would say that the chances are pretty good that you live near a geothermal resource. However, whether or not it is a resource that could be used for electrical power would require further exploration. For a geothermal power resource you really need three things: 1. Hot water (do you happen to know the temperature of the spring?) 2. Permeability in the rock, and 3. Both of these attributes at a depth that is economically reachable. To find out if your spring sits atop a resource with those attributes, there are a number of places you can look.
Websites such as
- www.navdat.org,
- www.earthchem.org,
- www.inl.gov/geosciences/seismicnetwork.shtml,
- http://earth.google.com/,
- http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/,
list public data or images regarding the chemistry of rocks, temperatures at the bottom of numerous drill holes, seismicity, or changes in surface geology. There is almost certainly data available for your area. However, even with all this great information, you still might not know if your spring sits upon an exploitable resource.
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