Geothermal Heat Source Assesment with Electron Spin Resonance

Abstract

Electron spin resonance (ESR) is a microwave absorption spectroscopy recently used for dating geological, archaeological and forensic science materials. Details on ESR dating is in the literature of the book and review articlesl -4). The first application of ESR dating to geothermal problems was made for altered minerals in geothermal boring c05e~ at Hachobaru Power Plant in Kyushu, Japan and af Wairakei, New Zealand' ). The work at Kurobe, Central Japan followed). In this paper, a brief introduction of the ESR dating is given first and then the applications to geological problems especially geothermal field follow. Finally, our work on geothermal materials at Amagase Hot Spring and other area are given as typical examples.