Comparison and Discussion of the 6 Km Temperature Maps of the Western US Prepared by the SMU Geothermal Lab and the USGS

Abstract

Interpretations of temperature-at-6 km depth maps for the western US are compared and three areas of difference are discussed in detail. These three areas are critical for EGS resource evaluation yet they are quite different between the two maps. The data in these three areas (the northern Oregon Cascade Range, the Snake River Plain, and the northern Great Basin) bearing on the interpretations are discussed. There is a large body of published information that documents high temperatures at depth in the Oregon Cascade Range and in the Snake River Plain. For the northern Basin and Range, and in general, the data distribution is discussed and it is clear that there are large areas with probable hydrothermal and EGS potential with no subsurface thermal information. Therefore both resource maps are preliminary in at least this critical area, while in the other two areas the thermal regimes as depicted on the SMU map are well established and documented.