Geothermal Reconnaissance Study for Sinai Peninsula, Egypt.

Abstract

Sinai Peninsula is characterized by superficial thermal manifestations represented by a cluster of hot springs with varied temperatures (30-72?C). These springs are mostly issue out of fractures and distributed along the Eastern shore of the Gulf of Suez. In this work, we present a reconnaissance study to elucidate the geothermal resources and delineate the structural setting of the area using available geophysical data; including heat flow, geothermal logs, geoelectrical resistivity and aeromagnetic data. The heat flow and geothermal well logging measurements showed that the eastern part of the peninsula is characterized by a high heat flow with an average value of 70mW/m2. Geoelectrical resistivity surveys were conducted in terms of Vertical Electrical Soundings (VES) at some localities nearby the surface thermal manifestations. The resulted geoelectrical cross sections delineated the subsurface structure at the studied localities and gave an explanation for the hot water source. Interpretation of magnetic data indicated that the hot springs in the western side of the peninsula are structurally controlled. Additionally, the calculated depth to Curie point isotherm ranges between 6.2 and 19.7 Km. Generally, the results indicate that Sinai Peninsula is a promising for further geothermal exploration.