Assessment of the Enhanced Geothermal System Resource Base of the United States

This paper describes an assessment of the enhanced geothermal system (EGS) resource base of the conterminous United States, using constructed temperature at depth maps. The temperature at depth maps were computed from 3 to 10 km, for every km. The methodology is described. Factors included are sediment thickness, thermal conductivity variations, distribution of the radioactive heat generation and surface temperature based on several geologic models of the upper 10 km of the crust. EGS systems are extended in this paper to include coproduced geothermal energy, and geopressured resources. A table is provided that summarizes the resource base estimates for all components of the EGS geothermal resource. By far, the conduction-dominated components of EGS represent the largest component of the U.S. resource. Nonetheless, the coproduced resources and geopressured resources are large and significant targets for short and intermediate term development. There is a huge resource base between the depths of 3 and 8 km, where the temperature reaches 150–250°C. Even if only 2% of the conventional EGS resource is developed, the energy recovered would be equivalent to roughly 2,500 times the annual consumption of primary energy in the U.S. in 2006. Temperatures above 150°C at those depths are more common in the active tectonic regions of the western conterminous U.S., but are not confined to those areas. In the central and eastern U.S. there are identified areas of moderate size that are of reasonable grade and probably small areas of much higher grade than predicted by this analyses. However because of the regional (the grid size is 5′ × 5′) scale of this study such potentially promising sites remain to be identified. Several possible scenarios for EGS development are discussed. The most promising and least costly may to be developments in abandoned or shut-in oil and gas fields, where the temperatures are high enough. Because thousands of wells are already drilled in those locations, the cost of producing energy from such fields could be significantly lowered. In addition many hydrocarbon fields are producing large amounts of co-produced water, which is necessary for geothermal development. Although sustainability is not addressed in this study, the resource is so large that in at least some scenarios of development the geothermal resource is sustainable for long periods of time.     

藏北牧草青草期的气候变化特征分析

利用1971—2000年西藏那曲地区平均气温、≥5 ℃界限温度、降水量以及月平均最高气温、最低气温、相对湿度、风速、日照时数等资料, 运用Penman-Monteith模型计算得出最大可能蒸散, 进而得到地表湿润系数, 分析了近30年藏北牧草青草期的气候变化趋势。结果发现:各牧区青草期间表现为平均气温升高、降水增多、持续天数延长、积温增高的趋势; 20世纪70年代各牧区青草期开始得晚、结束得早、持续天数短; 90年代相反, 青草期开始得早、结束得晚、持续天数长; 那曲地区西部青草期间的平均气温从未出现过异常年, 中东部牧区1976年异常偏冷; 各牧区降水量的异常年份主要出现在20世纪70年代; 70年代中期藏北大部分牧区青草期积温异常偏低, 90年代末出现了异常偏高年份。研究结果还表明:气温升高, 地表湿润系数增大, 暖湿化的气候变化趋势, 有利于生态环境的改善。     

Characteristics and origins of primary fluids and noble gases in mantle-derived minerals from the Yishu area, Shandong Province, China

springerlink.com Studies of mantle fluids are currently one of the hot topics in the earth science, greatly contributing to re-vealing origins and evolutions of fluids. In general, the concept of mantle fluids refers to their active compo-nents, such as CO2, H2O, N2, etc., while the noble gases inert in chemical properties belong to another research system. Due to their marked differences in various fluid sources of the Earth[1], the isotopic sig-natures of He and Ar have been widely used a…     

山东夏甸金矿烃类组分特征与幔源流体成矿作用探讨

烃类是成矿流体中的重要气相组分之一,与其他气态组分相比烃类则具有组分多元化和性质稳定的特点,同时烃类各组分间的相关特征和配分规律是成矿流体演化过程(氧化-还原条件、温度、压力等环境因素)的重要参数,因此烃类组分宏观和微观特征可以作为成矿物质来源、成矿流体演化以及流体间混合叠加规律的研究工具和手段.宏观上烃类组分在夏甸金矿不同类型地质体中的含量值差异明显:滦家河型花岗岩和硅质岩烃类含量很高,而胶东群变质岩、脉岩、金矿体及矿化蚀变带烃类含量明显偏低;通过烃类组分相关性、配分及比值特征等微观规律研究,可以推测夏句金矿的成矿作用与滦家河型花岗岩不存在直接关系,而与胶东群变质岩和深源的中.基性脉岩具有密切联系,表现出不同类型流体之间的叠加、改造特征,反映了夏甸金矿床乃至整个胶东矿集区具有地幔流体参与并和壳源流体发生不同程度混合,促进成矿物质运移并在合适的条件和构造空间沉淀富集的成矿特点.     

一次4.6级地震前的气氡异常变化分析

本文对聊古Ⅰ井气氡的日均值、整点值和离散程度等进行了处理和分析,发现在2006年4月9日河南濮阳4.6级地震前有显著的异常变化。综合分析认为,气氡的异常属于短期、场兆异常。本文还对该异常的机理及有关问题进行了讨论。     

A method of comparison of exact and asymptotic wave field computations

Summary. A method of comparison of exact numerical computations with an asymptotic ray series expansion consisting of the two first terms is proposed. The method makes it unnecessary to derive complicated explicit expressions for the second leading term of the ray series.
As a practical example we consider the anomalous PS arrival generated in the case of a near-vertical incidence of a spherical P wave on a solid/solid boundary. The areas in which the PS wave may be described by two leading terms of the ray series expansion are marked and deviations from the ray theory are analysed.     

Geochemistry and evolution of ore-forming fluids of the Yueshan Cu–Au skarn- and vein-type deposits, Anhui Province, South China

The Yueshan mineral belt is geotectonically located at the centre of the Changjiang deep fracture zone or depression of the lower Yangtze platform. Two main types of ore deposits occur in the Yueshan orefield: Cu–Au–(Fe) skarn deposits and Cu–Mo–Au–(Pb–Zn) hydrothermal vein-type deposits. Almost all deposits of economic interest are concentrated within and around the eastern and northern branches of the Yueshan dioritic intrusion. In the vicinity of the Zongpu and Wuhen intrusions, there are many Cu–Pb–Zn–Au–(S) vein-type and a few Cu–Fe–(Au) skarn-type occurrences.Fluid inclusion studies show that the ore-forming fluids are characterised by a Cl⁻(S)–Na⁺–K⁺ chemical association. Hydrothermal activity associated with the above two deposit types was related to the Yueshan intrusion. The fluid salinity was high during the mineralisation processes and the fluid also underwent boiling and mixed with meteoric water. In comparison, the hydrothermal activity related to the Zongpu and Wuhen intrusions was characterised by low salinity fluids. Chlorine and sulphur species played an important role in the transport of ore-forming components.Hydrogen- and oxygen-isotope data also suggest that the ore-forming fluids in the Yueshan mineral belt consisted of magmatic water, mixed in various proportions with meteoric water. The enrichment of ore-forming components in the magmatic waters resulted from fluid–melt partitioning. The ore fluids of magmatic origin formed large Cu–Au deposits, whereas ore fluids of mixed magmatic-meteoric origin formed small- to medium-sized deposits.The sulphur isotopic composition of the skarn- and vein-type deposits varies from − 11.3‰ to + 19.2‰ and from + 4.2‰ to + 10.0‰, respectively. These variations do not appear to have been resulted from changes of physicochemical conditions, rather due to compositional variation of sulphur at the source(s) and by water–rock interaction. Complex water–rock interaction between the ore-bearing magmatic fluids and sedimentary wall rocks was responsible for sulphur mixing. Lead and silicon isotopic compositions of the two deposit types and host rocks provide similar indications for the sources and evolution of the ore-forming fluids.Hydrodynamic calculations show that magmatic ore-forming fluids were channelled upwards into faults, fractures and porous media with velocities of 1.4 m/s, 9.8 × 10^− 1 to 9.8 × 10^− 7 m/s and 3.6 × 10^− 7 to 4.6 × 10^− 7 m/s, respectively. A decrease of fluid migration velocity in porous media or tiny fractures in the contact zones between the intrusive rocks and the Triassic sedimentary rocks led to the deposition of the ore-forming components. The major species responsible for Cu transport are deduced to have been CuCl, CuCl₂⁻, CuCl₃²⁻ and CuClOH, whereas Au was transported as Au₂(HS)₂S²⁻, Au(HS)₂⁻, AuHS and AuH₃SiO₄ complexes. Cooling and a decrease in chloride ion concentration caused by fluid boiling and mixing were the principal causes of Cu deposition. Gold deposition was related to decrease of pH, total sulphur concentration and fO₂, which resulted from fluid boiling and mixing.Geological and geochemical characteristics of the two deposit types in the Yueshan mineral belt suggest that there is a close genetic relationship with the dioritic magmatism. Geochronological data show that the magmatic activity and the mineralisation took place between 130 and 136 Ma and represent a continuous process during the Yanshanian time. The cooling of the intrusions and the mineralisation event might have lasted about 6 Ma. The cooling rate of the magmatic intrusions was 80 to 120 °C my^− 1, which permitted sufficient heat supply by magma to the ore-forming system.     

Electrical structures of the source area of the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan, earthquake: Spatial correlation between crustal conductors and aftershocks

Wide-band magnetotelluric (MT) data were collected on an east–west profile, approximately perpendicular to the local strike of the Chelungpu thrust, through the hypocentral area of the Chi-Chi earthquake for imaging the seismogenic structure. MT data were then inverted for two-dimensional resistivity models plus best-fitting static shift parameters using a nonlinear conjugate gradient algorithm that minimizes the sum of the normalized data misfits and the smoothness of the model. As shown in the inverted 2D resistivity models presented in this paper, an electrical conductor beside the hypocenter of the Chi-Chi earthquake indicates that deep-crustal fluids may participate in the rupture process of the Chi-Chi earthquake. A striking spatial correlation between the crustal conductor and occurrence of aftershocks beneath the Chelungpu fault suggests a postseismic pore pressure adjustment ongoing after the mainshock. Additionally, the hypocenter exhibits an electrical resistive zone, consistent very well with a predicted compact zone from a crustal deformation and transient fluid flow modeling.     

南黄海盆地含烃热液流体活动：流体包裹体证据

南黄海盆地勿南沙隆起古生界地层的地热和地球化学异常一直受到众多地质学家和地球化学家的关注。本文联用显微测温和激光拉曼光谱技术对南黄海盆地勿南沙隆起的常州(CZ)-2-1井二叠系栖霞组灰岩石英脉中的流体包裹体进行了详细研究。根据岩石学特征、室温下包裹体相态特征和成分差别,这些包裹体可以分成三大类六小类。流体包裹体拉曼光谱分析结果表明包裹体中含有甲烷和有机物,证明了该区曾经有含烃类流体活动。显微测温分析表明流体包裹体的均一温度在214℃～305℃之间,远高于该区正常沉积的盆地古地温,暗示包裹体捕获了热液流体。根据岩石学观察和测温分析结果,样品中主要存在三期流体包裹体,其均一温度和流体的甲烷浓度分别为:214℃,0.1347mol/L;265℃,0.1722mol/L;305℃,0.3370mol/L。包裹体甲烷浓度随均一温度升高呈增大的趋势。本次研究证实南黄海盆地勿南沙隆起区曾存在含烃热液流体活动,这些实验结果可以为合理解释热异常和地球化学异常提供证据。