The Geologic and Hydrogeologic Setting of Crystal Hot Springs: A Wasatch Front Geothermal System

Abstract

The Crystal Hot Springs geothermal system is a deep convection system located at the eastern margin of the Basin and Range physiographic province 22.5 km south of Salt Lake City, Utah. The thermal springs are located north of an east-northeast trending horst that is perpendicular to the structural trend of Wasatch Front grabens. The horst, known as the Traverse Range, consists of highly fractured mid-Paleozoic quartzite's and Tertiary volcanics. Meteoric water enters the system in the adjacent ranges, circulate to depths on the order of 3 km and is heated to the ambient lithospheric temperature. The thermal fluids return to the surface along steeply dipping range front faults that bound the northern flank of the range. The thermal springs issue between two such faults that are buried beneath Tertiary and Quaternary age valley fill deposits. Highly fractured quartzite beneath the valley fill acts as a near surface reservoir of the thermal water that is being developed of space heating purposes. The maximum measured temperature of the system is 98°C and the thermal water contains approximately 1500 to 1700 mg/l total dissolved solids.