Application of Airborne Thermal Infrared Imagery to Geothermal Exploration

Abstract

Burlington Northern (BN) conducted TIR surveys using a fixed wing aircraft over 17 different geothermal prospects in Washington, Montana and Wyoming because of this remote sensing tool’s ability to detect variations in the heat emitted from the earth’s surface. The surveys were flown at an average elevation of 5000 ft. above the ground surface which gave a spatial resolution of approximately 7 feet diameter. BN found thermal activity which had not been recognized previously in some prospects (e.g., Lester, Sunlight Basin) and was able to eliminate other prospects because of a lack of thermal activity. The purpose of any exploration method is to develop information about a prospect more efficiently than other sources or to provide data that would not be available from other sources. The TIR surveys can do that, particularly for large blocks of land and in areas of heavy vegetative cover. However, the biggest advantage of TIR was that it helped BN move some prospects forward and to drop others.