Analysis of Locations of Geothermal Fields in the Circum-Pacific by Pattern Recognition

Abstract

A Pattern Recognition Technique has been applied to 89 points in the Circum-Pacific region in order to identify areas of potentially producing geothermal fields. These 89 locations were examined in terms of the following parameters (1) volcanism, (2) plate geometry, (3) rainfall, and (4) large earthquake data. The application of this technique identified 48 areas in the Circum-Pacific region for potential geothermal development. Twenty of these 48 areas are being presently exploited. However, 28 of the identified areas have not been exploited for geothermal energy development and are there before to be considered new potentially productive geothermal areas. The three main factors found to be most responsible for the development of a producing geothermal field were (i) nearness to a lateral break in the continuity of plate margin, (ii) nearness to fumaroles and hot springs, and (iii) nearness to historically active volcanoes which erupted at lease once in a century.