Heat-Flow Continuation -- A Method to Delineate Geothermal Reservoirs
- Key words
- Exploration; Heat Source; Conductive Gradient; Reservoir Definition; USA; Marysville; Montana; California; East Mesa; Conductivity; Heat Conduction; Extrapolation Model; Surface Heat Flow; Temperature Survey; Thermal Anomaly; NSF
- Location
- Marysville, Montana; East Mesa, California; Imperial Valley
- Conference
- Geothermal Resources Council Transactions
- Year
- 1979
- Session
- Exploration; Heat flow; Reservoir modeling
- Language
- English
Abstract
Preliminary work on sourceward continuation of heat flow data has been initiated with the objective of delineating geothermal reservoirs. A straightforward method of continuation of conductive heat flow in a homogeneous isotropic medium is developed. The method utilizes the surface heat flow data to estimate a subsurface temperature distribution from which isotherms are constructed. The basis for geothermal reservoir delineation is that the reservoir may be treat as a heat source; thus, subsurface isotherms converge around reservoirs. The spatial limits and behavior of the reservoir can in some cases be defined by the constructed isotherms.
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