Regional gravity investigation of Honduras, Central America

A regional gravity study of Honduras was performed as part of a major study of the geothermal resource potential of Honduras. This study was conducted by Los Alamos National Laboratory, in cooperation with the Honduras government. Regional offshore free-air and onshore Bouguer gravity maps, and residual/isostatic gravity maps of Honduras and surrounding regions were produced. From these data several regional crustal and upper mantle models were produced. These models pass through two local geothermal sites, Platanares and San Ignacio. The regional geologic and tectonic implications of the models and their relevance to the geothermal potential of Honduras and to six well known geothermal sites in particular are examined. No obvious regional structures observed in the gravity data can explain the thermal enhancement in general or the specific geothermal sites. More local tectonic or structural conditions must control the distribution of the thermally enhanced areas.