Characterization and Analysis of a Potential Hidden Geothermal Resource in the Jersey Summit Area, North-Central, Nevada

Abstract

The Great Basin region (GBR) in the western U.S. is known for prolific geothermal activity and has substantial geothermal resource potential due to its favorable tectonic setting. However, most of the geothermal systems in this region are probably hidden, with no surface manifestations such as hot springs or steam vents. These hidden systems can be challenging to discover using traditional exploration methods, prompting new multidisciplinary approaches that are able to increase the ability to detect these untapped resources while decreasing the overall risk associated with geothermal exploration. For this study, we aim to better characterize hidden geothermal systems in the GBR using detailed structural analyses of designated field sites. Here, we focus on the Jersey Summit area, which includes southern Buffalo Valley and northern Jersey Valley in north-central Nevada. This site has been identified as having high potential for a hidden system based on an abundance of Quaternary faults and the presence of a major accommodation zone between the southward terminating, east-dipping Buffalo Valley normal fault zone and northward terminating, west-dipping Jersey Valley normal fault zone. Our objectives are to integrate multiple geological, geophysical, and geochemical datasets to establish the stratigraphic and structural framework of the Jersey Summit area, delineate the geometry and kinematics of the Quaternary fault systems, identify particularly favorable structural settings within the broader accommodation zone, define locations of thermal anomalies, and assign the most favorable targets for future temperature gradient drilling. Detailed geologic mapping incorporating new high-resolution lidar data, structural analysis, and 2-m temperature surveys were employed to identify the most highly prospective areas. These data suggest two particularly promising areas: 1) a broad left step-over in the southern part of the Buffalo Valley fault zone, and 2) a complex fault intersection between terminating strands of both the Buffalo Valley and Jersey Valley fault zones as well as a major east-striking, down-to-the south fault that transects the Tobin Range and projects into the accommodation zone toward a small left step in the northernmost segment of the Jersey Valley fault zone.