Development of Genetic Occurrence Models for Geothermal Prospecting

Exploration strategies based on an understanding of the geologic processes that transfer heat from the mantle to the upper crust, and foster the conditions for shallow hydrothermal circulation or enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) exploration, are required to search efficiently for “blind” geothermal resources. We propose a genetically based screening protocol to assess potentially prospective geothermal resources, beginning at the plate boundary scale and progressively focusing in on the scale of a producing electrical-grade field. We evaluated our approach by retrospectively applying the protocol to the characteristics of producing geothermal fields as documented in published studies. In all cases, the known resource areas fit the parameters identified from a genetic perspective. We conclude that this approach, grounded in basic geological data, is an effective way to delineate potential geothermal resource areas at all stages of exploration, from broad reconnaissance to detailed appraisal levels.