Numerical Modeling of Hydrothermal Systems Around Kuju Volcanic Field -an Attempt of Numerical Modeling for a Broad Geothermal System-

Abstract

We are attempting to construct a numerical model of a broad geothermal system that has the scale of a volcanic field to explain the existence of the hydrothermal systems, which are generated by a heat source like a magma chamber in the volcanic field. And one of the targets is the Kuju volcanic field. The Kuju volcanic field is located in the southwestern part of Oita prefecture, Japan, and consists of some andesitic volcanoes. There are many hot springs and several geothermal power stations in this field. In the previous studies on the Kuju volcanic field, the numerical models were mainly for the power station areas or the center of Kuju Volcano. So we constructed a new conceptual model that includes the center of the volcano and all of the geothermal power station areas. Based on this conceptual model, we constructed a numerical model that replicates the hydrothermal systems of the geothermal power station areas roughly although the numerical model is not so complicated.