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At least 757 records · Page 42Linked to original sources

GEOLOGIC FRAMEWORK FOR GEOTHERMAL ENERGY IN THE CASCADE RANGE.

Quaternary volcanoes of the Cascade Range form a 1200-km-long belt from northern California to southwest British Columbia and lie above the subduction zone formed as the Juan de Fuca plate is consumed beneath North America. Volcanoes throughout this belt may have been active during Quaternary time, and many have erupted within Holocene time. Thermal springs are few and inconspicuous. Surface expression of hydrothermal systems possibly is masked by infiltration of abundant rainwater and snowmelt. Several geologic and geophysical features suggest that the Oregon and California parts of the Cascades are characterized by moderate east-west crustal extension, tectonic regime conducive to relatively widespread volcanism and to the formation of normal fault zones of potentially high permeability. Refs.

Conference Paper↗

ON PREDICTING INFRAGRAVITY ENERGY IN THE SURF ZONE.

Flow data were obtained in the surf zone across a barred profile during a storm. RMS cross-shore velocities due to waves in the intragravity band (wave periods greater than 20 s) had maxima in excess of 0. 5 m/s over the bar crest. For comparison to measured spectra, synthetic spectra of cross-shore flow were computed using measured nearshore profiles. The structure, in the infragravity band, of these synthetic spectra corresponded reasonably well with the structure of the measured spectra. Total variances of measured cross-shore flow within the infragravity band were nondimensionalized by dividing by total infragravity variances of synthetic spectra. These nondimensional variances were independent of distance offshore and increased with the square of the breaker height. Thus, cross-shore flow due to infragravity waves can be estimated with knowledge of the nearshore profile and incident wave conditions. Refs.

Conference Paper↗

Dynamic behavior of Kilauea Volcano and its relation to hydrothermal systems and geothermal energy

Exploitation of hydrothermal systems on active basaltic volcanoes poses some unique questions about the role of volcanism and hydrothermal system evolution. Volcanic activity creates and maintains hydrothermal systems while earthquakes create permeable fractures that, at least temporarily, enhance circulation. Magma and water, possibly hydrothermal water, can interact violently to produce explosive eruptions. Finally, we speculate on whether volcanic behavior can be affected by high rates of heat extraction.

Conference Paper↗

Recent exploration and development of geothermal energy resources in the Escalante desert region, Southwestern Utah

Development of geothermal resources in southwest Utah's Sevier thermal area continued in the early 1990s with expansion of existing power-generation facilities. Completion of the Bud L. Bonnett geothermal power plant at the Cove Fort-Sulphurdale geothermal area brought total power generation capacity of the facility to 13.5 MWe (gross). At Cove Fort-Sulphurdate, recent declines in steam pressures within the shallow, vapor-dominated part of the resource prompted field developers to complete additional geothermal supply wells into the deeper, liquid-dominated portion of the resource. At Roosevelt Hot Springs near Milford, Intermountain Geothermal Company completed an additional supply well for Utah Power and Light Company's single-flash, Blundell plant. with the increased geothermal fluid supply from the new well, the Blundell plant now produces about 26 MWe (gross). The authors conducted several geothermal resource studies in undeveloped thermal areas in southwest Utah. Previous studies at Newcastle revealed a well-defined, self-potential minimum coincident with the intersection of major faults and the center of the heatflow anomaly. A detailed self-potential survey at Wood's Ranch, an area in northwest Iron County where thermal water was encountered in shallow wells, revealed a large (5,900 ?? 2,950 feet [1,800 ?? 900 m]) northeast-oriented self-potential anomaly which possibly results from the flow of shallow thermal fluid. Chemical geothermometry applied to Wood's Ranch water samples suggest reservoir temperatures between 230 and 248??F (110 and 120??C). At the Thermo Hot Springs geothermal area near Minersville, detailed self-potential surveys have also revealed an interesting 100 mV negative anomaly possibly related to the upward flow of hydrothermal fluid.

Bulletin. Geothermal Resources Council↗

Nearshore disposal of fine-grained sediment in a high-energy environment: Santa Cruz Harbor case study

Current regulations in California prohibit the disposal of more than 20% fine-grained sediment in the coastal zone; this threshold is currently being investigated to determine if this environmental regulation can be improved upon. A field monitoring and numerical modeling experiment took place late 2 009 to determine the fate of fine-grained dredge disposal material from Santa Cruz Harbor, California, U.S.A. A multi-nested, hydrodynamic-sediment transport modeling approach was used to simulate the direction and dispersal of the dredge plume. Result s show that the direction and dispersal of the plume was influenced by the wave climate, a large proportion of which moved in a easterly direction during wave events. Therefore it is vitally important to accurately simulate the tides, waves, currents, temperature and salinity when modeling the dispersal of the fine-grained dredge plume.

California↗

Applying satellite technology to energy and mineral exploration

IGCP Project 143 ("Remote Sensing and Mineral Exploration"), is a worldwide research project designed to make satellite data an operational geological tool along with the geologic pick, hand lens, topographic map, aerial photo and geophysical instruments and data that comprise the exploration package. While remote sensing data will not replace field exploration and mapping, careful study of such data prior to field work should make the effort more efficient.

Episodes↗

A calorimetric determination of the standard enthalpies of formation of huntite, CaMg3 (CO3)4 , and artinite, Mg2(OH)2 CO3 * 3H2O, and their standard Gibbs free energies of formation

The enthalpies of formation, ΔH° f, of huntite, CaMg 3 (CO 3 ) 4 , and artinite, Mg 2 (OH) 2 CO 3 * 3H 2 O, have been determined by HCl solution calorimetry using a constant-volume isoperibol reaction calorimeter. For the reaction CaO(c) + 3MgO(c) + 4CO 2 (g) = CaMg 3 (CO 3 ) 4 (c), the enthalpy change at 298.15 K, ΔH° 298 , is -123,203±145 cal mol -1 . For the reaction 2MgO(c) + 4H 2 O(l) + CO 2 (g)=Mg 2 (OH) 2 CO 3 * 3H 2 O(c), we obtained -45,132±100 cal mol -1 . These results combined with the standard enthalpies of formation of CaO, MgO, H 2 O, and CO 2 lead to ΔH° 298 (huntite) = -1,082,600±375 cal mol -1 and ΔH° 298 (artinite) = -698,043±170 cal mol -1 . Using recently determined values for the standard entropies of huntite, CaMg 3 (CO 3 ) 4 , and artinite, Mg 2 (OH) 2 CO 3 * 3H 2 O, and of Mg, Ca, C, O 2 , and H 2 , we calculate ΔG° f,298 (huntite) = -1,004,707±390 cal mol -1 and ΔG° f,298 (artinite) = -613,924±180 cal mol -1 .

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey↗