An Analysis of the Geothermal Potential of Southwestern New Mexico
- Key words
- Exploration; USA; New Mexico; Faults; Tectonics; Gravity Survey
- Location
- New Mexico
- Conference
- Geothermal Resources Council Transactions
- Year
- 1982
- Session
- Exploration; Geological surveys; Geochemical surveys; Geophy
- Language
- English
Abstract
Data sets for actual temperatures; bottom hole temperature gradients; geotemperatures; tectonics; lineaments; and complete and residual Bouguer gravity were analyzed in order to assess the geothermal potential of southwestern New Mexico. Major NW-SE and N-S trends of structural weakness and control, suggested by these data, intersect in the general area of Dona Ana County and appear to be crossed by NE-SW trending secondary zones of weakness. Temperature data imply that there is a spatial relationship between intersections of these trends and potential geothermal anomalies, which suggests that the hydrothermal systems are predominately fault controlled.
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