The Role of MT in Geothermal Exploration at Newberry Volcano, Oregon

Abstract

Davenport Newberry has been conducting geothermal exploration on Newberry Volcano in central Oregon since 2005. The primary target of the exploration efforts is the western flank of the volcano, which is underlain by plutons associated with Newberry Volcano, some of which are young enough to retain substantial heat. Currently Davenport is mid-way through an exploration program, conducted in conjunction with the DOE Innovative Exploration Technology (IET) Grant 109 program, and MT surveys are a component of this effort. Integration of the MT results with gravity data, drill hole lithology and LIDAR has provided valuable structural and volcanic development of the volcano. This has significantly changed the understanding as to which areas have higher potential for hosting hydrothermal systems. MT data, usually used for deep geoelectrical investigation, has proved useful for shallow interpretation. Integration of two different MT surveys created a high station density, which allowed us to detect small scale shallow features. In the future, improvements in MT receiver design should permit dense data collection and even more detailed interpretations.