Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TI86 900257
Reconnaissance of the
Hydrothermal Resources of Utah
By F, EUGENE RUSH
U N I T E D STATES G O V E R N M E N T P R I N T I N G O F F I C E , W A S H I N G T O N : 1983
DISCLAIMER
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Dallas L. Peck,Director
Rush, F. Eugene
Reconnaissance of the hydrothermal rewrns of Utah.
ILLUSTRATIONS
FIGURE1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.-11.
16
18
20
12.
22
13. 23
14.-17.
24
25
26
26
18. 28
19. 30
20. 32
21. 34
22. 35
23. 36
24. Map showing heat flow in the Crater Hot Springs area ___________________________ ~... 37
25. Reconnaissance geologic map of the Meadow and Hatton Hot Springs area--- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - .__- _ _ _ _ _ _ - - _ _ - - ._- - _ _ -.-~~.
~ -. .. 38
26. Map showing estimated heat flow and water temperatures in the Meadow and Hatton Hot Springs area ....... ~. ~ ~ ~ ~.-. 40
27. Map showing areas of rapid snowmelt near Hatton Hot Springs, March 1976 - - _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ . _ _.. ~
~ ___..
_~ ~.. ~~. ~ .-
..~~. 41
28. Map showing areas of warm ground water in the Jordan Valley _ _ _ _ _ :--- _ _ _ _ __ _ _. _ _ _ ~~.
_ _.
_. ...
~ _~~_ ~_
~ . .._~.42
.~.~
_~. .
IV CONTENTS
TABLES
TABLE 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
CONVERSION OF UNITS
For use of those readers who may prefer to use inch-pound units rather than metric units, the conversion factors for the terms used in this
report are listed below:
hiulhply metric unit BY To obtain inch-pound unit
calories (cal) 3.974 x 10-3 British thermal units (B.t.u.)
degrees Celsius CC) 1.8"C + 32 degrees Fahrenheit CF')
milligrams (mg) 1.543 X grains
kilograms (kg) 2.205 pounds (Ib)
liters (L) ,2642 gallons (gal)
meters (m) 3.281 feet (ft)
millimeters (mm) 3.937 x 10-2 inches (in)
centimeters (cm) .3937 inches (in)
hectometers (hm) 3.281 x feet (ft)
kilometers (km) ,6214 miles (mi)
square centimeters (cm? .1550 square inches (in2)
square kilometers (km2) .3861 square miles (miz)
cubic meters (m3) 35.31 cubic feet (ft3)
liters per second (L/s) 15.85 gallons per minute (gal/m)
GEOHYDROLOGY OF GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
By F . EUGENERUSH
H1
H2 GEOHYDROLOGY OF GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
system, the State is divided into four quadrants by the section, and the section commonly is followed by three
Salt Lake base line and meridian, and these quadrants letters indicating the quarter section, the quarter-
are designated by the uppercase letters A, B, C,and D, quarter section, and the quarter-quarter-quarter sec-
indicating the northeast, northwest, southwest, and tion (generally 4 hm2)l;the letters a, b, c, and d indicate,
southeast quadrants, respectively. Numbers designat-
ing the township and range (in that order) follow the 'The basic land unit, the section,is ideally 2.6 km*;however, many sections are irregular.
Such sections are subdividedinto 4 km* tracts, generally beginning at the southeast mrner,
quadrant letter, and all three are enclosed in parenthe- and the sulplus or shortage is taken up in the tracts along the north and west sides of the
ses. The number after the parentheses indicates the section.
114" 112O
IDAHO
-ATION
Land Prosmv&
valuable for geo-
thermal resources
(1971) (18 deter-
mined by OSGS
Known Geothermal
Resource Area (KGRA)
KGRA
1. Crater Hot Springs
2. RoosewItHotSpringr
3. coWFort-Sdph~*
4. Monroedoseph
5. ~hennoHdSprings
6. Lund
7. Newcastle
8. NavajoLake
ProvinceBoundary
COLORADO PLATEAU
-----
Adapted from Godwin and others 1971, figure 2
0 50 1M) 150 ZOO KILOMETERS
I I I I
I I
0 50 100 MILES
FIGURE
I.-Land prospectively valuable for geothermal resources in Utah, and an index map of Utah.
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE HYDROTHERMAL RESOURCES OF UTAH H3
respectively, the northeast, northwest, southwest, and the valley floors of the Basin and Range province. The
southeast quarters of each subdivision. The number range is an uplifted block of folded and faulted strata,
after the letters is the serial number of the well or spring bounded on the west by a major fault zone, the Wasatch
within the 4 hm2 tract; the letter “S” preceding the Fault. The Uinta Mountains are generally higher than
serial number denotes a spring. If a well or spring can- the Wasatch Range, reaching altitudes greater than
not be located within a 4 hm2 tract, less than three 4,000 m above sea level. They are described by Fenne-
location letters are used and the serial number is omit- man (1931,p. 177) as aflat-topped anticline. Most of the
ted. Thus (C-29-8)9ba designates a well in the consolidated rocks that crop out in both mountain
NW%NW% sec. 9, T. 29 S., R. 8 W. The numbering ranges are pre-Cenozoic sedimentary or silicic plutonic
system is illustrated in figure 2. rocks.
the distribution of igneous rocks less than 6 million largest exposure of such an intrusive body in Utah is the
years old; some are less than 10,000 years old. They are Mineral Mountains, 80 km north of Cedar City.
mostly basalt and crop out generally in southwestern
Utah. These very young igneous rocks do not seem to be REGIONAL HYDROLOGIC SETTING
along an east-west belt but rather on an alinement
parallel to Basin and Range structure. The implication Precipitation on the semiarid valley floors of the
is that Basin and Range structure controls the distribu- Basin and Range province in Utah, as well as much of
tion of these rocks; whereas the older belts predate the Colorado Plateaus, averages less than 200 mm per
Basin and Range structure. Stewart, Moore, and Zietz year (U.S. Weather Bureau, no date). The higher
(1977)see genetic and age similarity between these mountains of the Wasatch Range and the Uinta
belts and the belt of upper Cenozoic volcanic rock ex- Mountains generally receive precipitation of 1,000mm
tending along the Snake River Plain in southern Idaho or more per year, most accumulating as snow in the
eastward into the Yellowstone region of northwestern winter. The mountains of the Basin and Range province
Wyoming. average about 500 mm or less yearly.
Very young volcanic rocks in Utah are reported by The relatively large amounts of precipitation that fall
Rowley, Anderson, and Williams (1975,p. B18), and in the mountains flow toward the ground-water reser-
Smith and Shaw (1975,p. 82).Volcanic rocks probably voirs and major streams in two ways: (1)Flow from the
less than 10,000years old are found near Fillmore and mountains in small streams. Part of this water infil-
65 km southwest, 50 km south, and 30 krn southeast of trates the stream beds and percolates to the water table.
Cedar City (fig. 3).These young rocks are largely basal- (2)Flow percolates directly into the fractures and pore
tic, but scattered rhyolitic cones are known (Liese, space of consolidated rocks of the mountains; this water
1957). then flows in the subsurface across the consolidated
Silicic intrusive rocks were emplaced at the same rock-valley-fill contact. The latter is considered to be
time as the silicic volcanic rocks (Whelan, 1970). The the smaller volume of water in most areas; an exception
-
is in areas of carbonate rocks that have developed inter-
4z0r
connected solution channels. Most of the ground water
'F--
118" 116" 114" 112"
- - --- -I'-
I
-
CAUFC
36' -0 100 KILOMETERS YJ I
w '\ \
I
0 50 MILES 100
1 I I L 1 ;
I
-.-
\
f rc e C. I %\,\
Adapted from S k w m
FIGURE 3.-Ceneralized distribution of young and OMigaetws rocks.A, E&-west patterns of Cemmic igneous rocks and positive aeromagnetic
anomaiies sfiow southward migration of igneous activity in California, N e d , and Utah.8,b e m a rocks less t h n 6 million years old in
western Utah,Nevada, and parts of actioining ssates seem to parallel Basin and Range structure.
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE HYDROTHERMAL RESOURCES OF UTAH H5
TABLE1.-Relation of hydrotherml areas to mineral belts and to age of Cenozoic igneous rocks
[The area# of western Utah are 88 shown in figure 4. The areas and mineral belts are listed in order from north to south. The ages of the rocks are from Stewart and others (1977, p. 71)l
Approximate
average age General
Hydrothermal Mineral of rocks hydrothermal
areas belt (my.) characteristics
circulates to depths of only several tens to several northwest of Delta on the south edge of the Great Salt
hundred meters, and generally has a temperature near Lake Desert. The estimated discharge is 1.4 m3/s. Water
or slightly higher than the ambient land-surface tem- temperatures reportedly range from 18” to 76°C. The
perature for the lowlands (10”-16”C). Some ground recharge areas for these springs are probably to the
water migrates through fault-created fractures t o great south and west and probably include parts of Nevada.
depth where it absorbs heat from wall rock. This heated The principal sources of geothermal fluids are water
water returns to the land surface along with the stored in the hydrothermal reservoir and water enter-
shallow-circulating ground water, where it is ulti- ing the geothermal-circulation system as recharge from
mately discharged as springs, to streams, by evapo- precipitation. Because of the semiarid climate of much
transpiration, or from wells. In agricultural areas, a of the area, most geothermal development for genera-
secondary source of ground-water recharge to the tion of electricity will remove fluids from storage at a
valley-fill reservoir is infiltration from fields, canals, higher rate than natural replenishment.
and reservoirs. Summers are usually hot with low
humidity. As a result, on lowlands, potential lake evap- GEOTHERMAL RELATIONS
oration greatly exceeds precipitation.
REGIONAL HEAT FLOW
Some of the valleys in the Basin and Range province
are hydrologically isolated; that is, water that falls as “he average conductive heat flow to the earth’s sur-
precipitation remains within the basin until it is dis- face is approximately 1.6 HFU (1 heat-flow unit [HFU]
charged back to the atmosphere. However, in areas = 1 x caUcm2/s or 1 pcaYcmzls, according to
where interconnected solution channels have devel- Schubert and Anderson, 1974). Considerable variation
oped, ground water may follow complex flow paths be- in flow exists in Utah. Based on data from Sass and
neath interbasin divides and flow for tens or hundreds of others (1971) and Sass and Munroe (1974), the area of
kilometers and for thousands of years before discharg- highest heat flow in Utah is the Basin and Range prov-
ing to the land surface. Commonly, this interbasin flow ince, which has heat-flow values commonly in the range
involves moderately deep circulation beneath mountain of 1.5to 2.5 HFU. By comparison the “Battle Mountain
ranges and, as a result, its discharge is significantly High” (in Nevada) is an area of abnormally high heat
above ambient temperature. A probable example of dis- flow where conductive heat-flow values are commonly
charge from an interbasin regional flow system is the in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 HFU. According to Lachen-
Fish Springs group (Mundorff‘, 1970, p. 371, about 90 km bruch and Sass (19771, the “Battle Mountain High” may
H6 GEOHYDROLOGYOF GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
be a part of a larger region of exceptionally high heat created by faulting; the individual magma pulses are
loss extending from western Nevada to Yellowstone volumetrically small, and such systems contribute little
Park, Wyo., and including the northwestern corner of stored heat to the upper crust until magma chambers
Utah. No data were collected as part of this study to begin to form at high levels. (9) Fluid temperature is of
determine whether the northwestern corner of Utah is critical importance in determining how a hydrothermal
an area of very high heat flow. Data from this study, and system may be utilized and is the most important single
the work of others, indicate that the Basin and Range factor in evaluating a system. Hot-water convection
province in Utah probably has an average heat flow of systems can be divided into those of three temperature
about 2 HFU. ranges: (a) Above 150°C; these systems may be consid-
The Colorado Plateaus and the Middle Rocky ered for generation of electricity; (b)from 90°C to 150°C;
Mountains provinces in Utah have heat-flow values these systems are attractive for space and process heat-
near the average for the earth‘s surface. Values pub- ing; and (c) below 90°C; these systems are likely to be
lished by Sass and others (1971) and by Sass and Mun- utilized for heat only in locally favorable circumstances.
r e (1974)for these areas generally range from 1.3to 2.0 (10) Natural geysers and active deposition of siliceous
HFU and average about 1.6 HFU. sinter (amorphous hydrous silica) are reliable indica-
The causes of variation in heat flow to the earth’s tors of subsurface temperatures at least as high as
surface are complex and poorly understood. Some of the 180°C. On the other hand, travertine deposits (calcium
factors that contribute to the diversityare (1)variations carbonate) and opaline residues produced by sulfuric
in crustal thickness, (2) convection of magma beneath acid leaching have no reliable relation to reservoir tem-
and possibly within the lower parts of the crust, perature. (11) In the Basin and Range province, heat
(3) movement of ground water in hydrothermal convec- flows are sufficiently high that the existence of a thick
tion cells, (4) variations in the distribution of radioac- blanket having low thermal conductivity (high-porosity
tive elements such as uranium, thorium, and clay beds, for example) could locally raise the tempera-
potassium-40 in crustal rock, ( 5 ) intrusion into the tures to levels of economic interest. The above ab-
upper crust of young magmas, and (6) general circula- breviated summary can be used as a partial guide to the
tion of shallow ground water. general relation of thermal waters to the hydrogeologic
framework.
RELATION OF THERMAL WATERS TO HYDROGEOLOGIC Most thermal springs and wells are in valleys near
FRAMEWORK
the margins of the mountains. Spring positions prob-
The present level of geothermal knowledge is in part ably are controlled by Basin and Range faults. Some
presented by White and Williams (1975) and is briefly springs are in valley bottoms; others are on upland
summarized as follows: (1) Some geothermal systems slopes. Only a few thermal springs are in a mountainous
are supplied only by a “normal” geothermal gradient; setting; the most prominent example is Midway Hot
some by magmatic heat. (2) Youngest igneous rocks Springs, 45 km southeast of Salt Lake City (Mundorff,
have the best potential as heat sources. (3)Purely basic 1970, p. 46).
volcanic systems rarely form thermal anomalies of eco- Recharge to the hydrothermal systems is by either
nomic interest for generation of electricity, whereas meteoric water in the nearby shallow, ground-water
silicic volcanic systems may do so if they are large reservoir or by percolation in the nearby mountains.
enough. (4) Young basic volcanoes are produced by The dominant driving force for deep circulation prob-
.magma sources in the mantle and, under some condi- ably is the difference in density between cold recharge
tions, are potential indicators ofburied high-level silicic water and hot upflowing water, but head differences
bodies with no obvious surface manifestations. ( 5 ) between recharge area and springs may contribute as
Silicic magmas are always erupted from high-level shown in figure 4.
storage chambers, probably in the upper 10 km of the The hot water rising from the hydrothermal reservoir
crust. (6) High-temperature convection systems can be may be greatly diluted by shallower-circulating cold
sustained for many thousands of years with heat from water, lowering the temperature but increasing the flow
high-silica magma bodies. Perhaps because of the very of thermal springs above the hydrothermal reservoir.
high viscosities of such magmas, these systems are as- As shown in figure 4, only part of the upflow of thermal
sociated with magma chambers at shallow levels in the water may directly reach the land surface, because part
crust. (7) Cooling by hydrothermal convection tends to may enter near-surface aquifers and cool by conduction
offset continued heating, but the rate of supply of as it flows laterally from the spring area.
magma from deep crustal or mantle sources is the domi- The model described above may be modified in several
nant heat supply for both high-level magmatic and hy- ways to approximate the variety of hydrothermal sys-
drothermal systems. ( 8 )Basic magmas rise through the tems: (1)No convecting magma may be present in the
crust to the surface through narrow pipes and fissures upper crust, but rather the heat s o u m may be deeper in
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE HYDROTHERMAL RESOURCES OF UTAH H7
the crust or in the mantle; (2) the downward flow of cold TABLE2.-Thermal-conductivity values used in this report
water to the hydrothermal reservoir may be through IValuesbasedonworkdoneinNevadaandUtahbyOlmstedandothers(1975,p.WOlmsted,
oral commm.. 1976) and QB88 (written commun.,1975).See also Sass and others (1976)l
any deep permeable route; and (3) calcium carbonate
Eetimated
and amorphous silica may deposit on the walls of the conductivity values
Lithology (meaVcds'C)
upflow zone, creating an isolated or semi-isolated con-
duit or self-sealing cap. As a result, movement of water saturated Unsaturated
TABLE3.-Formulas for geothermometers used in this report TABLE4.-Kmwn geothermal resource areas in Utah
[From R. 0. Fournier written commun. 1975 and 1977. Concentrations: Na, K, and Ca in [October 1976. Total area includes all land irrespective of ownership. Leased areas are 41
molality; SiO, in mgkg, which is approximately the same a8 mgL] federal leases]
114" 112"
---__
EXPLANATION
Area where geothermal
gradient exceeds lWC/km,
heat flow exceeds 3 HFU,
or water in springs and
shallow-well discharge is
warmer than 20°C
(See table 5)
41" -----.
7
Blading
-i
I
I
0 50 100 MILES
FIGURE
B.-Geothermal areas of Utah.
H10 GEOHYDROLOGY OF GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
Wasatch Alon the mejor Wide Wide 2CL77; hottest 15-85; Travertine common.
Range. a & zone ranges. ranges. s rings are at highest
eeparatin the tRe south end at the
Basin anfRange of the area. south end
rovince of the area.
Rom the Colo-
rad0 Plateaus
and the Middle
Rocky Mountains
PrOVmCeS.
North- In the Basin and --do- __ - - - --do- - - - - - Generally low. 5-33; Travertine common;
west Range province, 18-42, exce t Crater Hot some hydrogen
area. an area of
above normal
conductive
for Crater J o t
Springs (87°C)
near south end
78%
near south
sulfide.
ROOSEVELT HOT SPRINGS AND THE COVE exploratory wells (asof April 1977)to depths commonly
FORT-SULPHURDALEAREAS less than 1,500 m. Results of well tests reportedly were
very favorable, and additional exploration and devel-
The locations of these two aaacent KGRA’s are opment wells are planned. The University has made
shown in figure 1.Roosevelt Hot Springs (C-26-9)34dcS, extensive geophysical surveys, funded by the National
is on the west flank of the Mineral Mountains in Beaver Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy
County, about 20 km northeast of the town of Milford. (formerly the Energy Research and Development Ad-
Cove Fort, ((3-25-7130, and Sulphurdale, (C-26-717,are ministration), and the U.S. Geological Survey, and the
about 25 km northeast of Roosevelt Hot Springs near results were published in a series of reports. Because of
the northeastern corner of Beaver County and on the these very extensive exploration activities, which have
west flank of the Tushar Mountains and the Pavant been continuing since the early 1970’s, no additional
Range. The surface geology of the two areas is quite field data were collected in this area as part of this
different. At Roosevelt Hot Springs, an alluvial valley study.
lies to the west and a large Tertiary pluton of granite to The geology of the Roosevelt Hot Springs area has
the east. At Cove Fort and Sulphurdale, the dominant been mapped by Petersen (1979, Parry, Berson, and
lithology is young basaltic lava flows, commonly of Miller (1976, p. 221, and Liese (1957). Petersen mapped
Quaternary age. 10 lithologic units, including 4 units of hobspring
Lee (1908, p. 21) describes a silica deposit on the deposits. According to Patrick Muffler (written com-
southwestern flank of the Mineral Mountains and about mun., 19761, the heat source is related to Pleistocene
25 km south of Roosevelt Hot Springs. He reports that rhyolites that crop out on the west flank of the Mineral
cold water issues from a mound of silica 400 m i n diame- Mountains (fig. 1).Rhyolite as young as 490,000 years
ter. This geologic feature was not visited as part of this has been identified. Hydrothermally altered ground is
study, but if this is a hobspring deposit, it may be an common in the area. Brown (1977, p. 5 ) estimates the
area of geothermal-resource potential. From the loca- age of hydrothermally deposited opal near Roosevelt
tion description, the mound probably is at (C-29-10124~. Hot Springs at roughly 350,000 years.
Phillips Petroleum Co., Thermal Power Corp., and Basin and Range faulting controls the location of
the University of Utah are actively exploring the hy- Roosevelt Hot Springs. One of the Basin and Range
drothermal system in the Roosevelt Hot Springs area. faults, the Dome fault, is marked by an abundance of
Phillips and Thermal Power, who have made many siliceous sinter (opal) in mounds for a distance of nearly
geophysical surveys, have drilled a total of nine deep 5 km. The model shown in figure 6, with some
H12 GEOHYDROLOGY OF GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
6.-Estimted reservoir temperatures derived by geothermmeter formulas for springs (and one well) with temperaturesgreater than50"C
TABLE
and silica concentrations greater than 50 mglL
[For formulas, see table 3. Chemical data mostly from Mundorff.1970, table 1. Silica: First number is concentration for thermal-watersample; remaining numbers are concentrationsfor
warby cold water sourcee. Discharge temperature: First number is for thermal-watersample; remaining numbers are for cold-water sources and eorrespond to silica concentrations in
acljoining column]
Christensen well,
Newcastle, UT --(C-36-15)20bb 1.45 11.74 0.54 0.4 99 95
.~ 166 NKC 140-170 No springs present. Difference
13 138 in computed temperatures
34
62 12 110
150-160 GM
E! ma indicate mixi of ther-
mar and n o n t h e m x waters.
Cove Fort-
Sulphurdale ----T. 25 and 26 s. _-__ __-- ---- 2001 Estimate from Renner, White,
R. 6 and 7 W. and Williams (1975, p. 21).
Crater
110-140 Reservoir rock may not be
Hot Springs --_-(C- 14-8)lOS 8.61 35.50 1.23 '68 59
19
22
87
12
14
110
80
140
E!
GM
basalt. Differences in com-
puted temperatures may
indicate mixing of thermal
and nonthermal waters.
c stal
90-120 Mixed water. Dissolved-solids
%ot Springs ---_(C-4-1)11 and
Hatton
12s
2.54 _ - _ _ '24 73 58 120
92 8 are 1,665 mglL.
Hot Springs - - - _(C-22-6)35ddS 11.6 ____ _-_- 89 44 36 66 C 70- 110 Subsurface temperature of
37 14 100-110 GM 67°C measured in nearby
shallow well. Mixed water.
Joseph
Hot Springs ---_(C-25-4)23S 7.04 62.64 1.73 '36 85 65 101 C 100-170 ____
50 12 170 GM
Meadow
Hot Springs ----(C-22-6)26ccS 10.8 44.37 3.58 '114 47 41 69 C 70-120 Mixed water.
37 14 120 GM
Monroe.
Hot Springs ----(C-25-3)1OddS 7.01 24.06 1.25 '49 51 65.5 73 C 70-120 Reservoir temperature prob-
36 13 115 GM ably the same as for Red Hill
33 14 Hot Springs or 100"-160"C.
0 den
s o t Springs ----(B-61)23ccS 8.41 119.19 10.40 8 53 58 323 NKC 75-90 Reservoir tem erature com-
30 10 75 C puted with krmula NKC is
90 GM2 probably too high. Dis-
solved solids are 8,820 mg/L.
Red Hill
Hot Spring _ ---(c-25-3)1 IcaS 5.99 26.88 1.35 '34 83 75 99 C 100-160 Difference in computed
36 13 160 GM temperatures may indicate
33 14 mixing of thermal and non-
thermal waters.
Roosevelt
Hot Springs --_-(C-26-9)34dcS ,475 90.48 12.07 3.3 405 85 293 NKC 260-290 Subsurface temperature as
234
109 : high as 262°C reported by
Philli s Petroleum Co.
Opal Beposits.
Stinking
Hot Springs __JB-10-3)30bbS 22.40 487.2 16.82 '335 53 51 75 C 75-95 Dissolved solids are about
30 10 95 GM2 36,000 mg/L.
Thermo
Hot Springs ----(C-30-12)21S 2.07 15.57 1.25 9.7 108 82.5 199 NKC 140-200 Travertine deposits indicate
23 14 115 C that temperature computed
49 14 141 Q with formula NKC may be
170-200 GM too high. Difference in,com-
puted temperatures may
indicate mixing of thermal
and non-thermal waters.
T 30
38'1 I
T 31
(19781
0 1 MILE
FICURE
i'.-Reconnaissance geologic map of the Thermo Hot Springs area, and audio-magnetotelluric configuration for the Thermo Hot
Springs area.
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE HYDROTHERMALRESOURCES OF UTAH H15
Fault-controlled Thermo Hot-Springs flow from two
north-trending spring-controlled mounds each of which
Qm Qma Qpw Qpd Qfp is about 1 km long and ranges from about 50 to about
Qc Qld 200 m wide (fig. 8).The mounds, which rise about 4-8 m
above the surrounding valley floor, are probably com-
posed mostly of windblown sand and lesser amounts of
siliceous sinter and travertine debris. On the spring
mounds, a total of 69 spring orifices were inventoried
(table 16 in table section), 54 of which were on the west
mound. The total observed spring flow was estimated to
be about 2 Us and the maximum observed water tem-
Tvs perature was 82.5"C.
Tm Mundorff, (1970, p. 18)lists four chemical analyses of
water samples from Thermo Hot Springs. The
DESCRIPTION OF MAP UNKS maximum silica concentration was 108 mg/L and the
HYDRO~Y43EL%TED DEPOSlIS
Spring-mound d e p s i t s - W b h quarb sand collecting in dissolved solids were 1,500 mg/L. The dominant ions
area3 of sprlns dipcharge; mostly fine-to mediumipatned,
light tan. Mound surf&% commonly white where salt has were sodium and sulfate.
accumulated from evaporated water. Minor amount of The estimated reservoir temperature (table 61, based
F] hvartlne and siliceous sinter
Spring-mound apon doposits--lrbetlywindblaun quartz sand
cokding in damp amas some dark-gray basalt haqnents.
on chemical analyses of water samples and geother-
mometer (table 3) calculations, is 140"-200°C. The
Sand fine- 03 modium-pined,tan
Fl VALLEY-FLOOR DEPOSrrS
Wet-playadopmitr--llqht-t-tan. sandy silt and chy. Land surface
soft due to saturation of water to the land surface. Surface
maximum depth of circulation of water to the hy-
drothermal reservoir probably is between 3 and 4 km,
F
l white due to d e p i t b n from evaporated water
Dry-playadep0s-y tan sandy silt and day. Land surface
on the basis of a regional conductive heat flow of 2 HFU,
mean thermal conductivity of the rock and alluvium of
Fl iF ha+ most of the time
Fbod-pbin deposbMosUy hght-tan to light-brown slt and
day, bcally indudes some sand. Deposits undertie hard
about 4.5 x cal/cm/s"C, and an ambient land-
surface temperature of 12°C.The calculation assumes
surface marked by abundant wad dktincthR stroamchannel
the absence of any shallow magmatic-heat source.
Fl meanderscan
DissgapdI& dep0sik-Mdy light-tanto light-brown, fine-to
1
medium-cyained quartz sand and silt minor amounts of
darkgmy volcanic rock fragnents up to 2 an in diameter
bcally p ~ ~ s o nIndudes
t sand dunes that form low hPls 113"12'3U" R 12 w
southwept of the SpIing mounds I
ALLWN-APFiON DEPOSITS
fan of shaunk -t-tan to light-bmm
slty fine- to medlum-grainedsand. Land su- is canmonly EXPLANATION
Fl soft
Cdknrlum-Tan to b- fine- to medium-gaid sand and
Sat, commody wlth a poorly devobped g rad p a w n t on
d Spring and number
in table 16
the land surface. Indudes some g r
ad h a n d sanddlmes.
Major channels have dark-gray vdcank rock
bouldas upb man in dhmeter EAST
Talus of Mount Dum3n Fonnatb&umulations of angdar 0 200 4M3 METERS
Modo of rock SPRING
CONSOUDArrD ROCKS w
01000 FEET
MOUND
Baralt lava fklws
9
Horae Vdlgr F o ~ U o n - R h p d a c l t klava flows and voicanic
mudflau broab
TULES AREA (6)
Rhydl(e of Therm Hot SPrinsJ
c;
Tm Mount Dumn Formation-Vdcank mudflow breccia and
mlnor lava Raus
Con-
-!- -?- Fault, bsr and bdl on downthraun side, darhod w k infend, SPRING
quskd where doubtful MOUND l5
-
7 PcdaiNe fsu)t WEST 14
............... Ltnsament
shore line of Laka Bonnevale
0. Hotsprirrs
-63- LIM OF EQUAL APPARENT RESISlMTY-Line values in
ohmmstpn
0 Datapoint
FIGURE
7.-Continued. FIGURE
&-Distribution, of orifices at Thermo Hot Springs.
H16 GEOHYDROLOGYOF GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
17
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE HYDROTHERMAL RESOURCES OF UTAH H17
Recharge for the hydrothermal system probably oc- the low-resistivity, elongated body of thermal water
curs in the nearby mountains or seeps downward underlying the general spring-mound area; this body
through a permeable zone from the saturated alluvium has its long axis parallel to the northeastward direction
of the valley. To estimate the amount of mixing of the of ground-water flow as defined by Mower and Cordova
upflowing thermal water with nonthermal water, a (1974, pl. 4). Figure 9 includes temperatures measured
graphic method developed by Truesdell and Fournier at a depth of 30 m below land surface. In addition to the
(1977) was used. The amount of mixing was estimated thermal anomaly near the spring mounds, two ad-
using temperature and silica-concentration data for ditional thermal areas are shown to the southeast and
thermal and nonthermal ground water in the area. For east. These two areas are probably associated with
nonthermal ground water, the range of silica concen- permeable fault zones separate from the permeable
trations used in the calculation was 23-49 mg/L and a zones underlying the spring mounds. Contours of con-
water temperature of 14°C (table 6). ductive heat flow on figure 10 show similar patterns.
The results suggest that as the thermal water rises, it Figure 9 shows the distribution of vegetation in the
mixes with nonthermal water at an approximate ratio Thermo Hot Springs area. Three types of vegetation are
of 40 percent thermal water to 60 percent nonthermal shown: (1) The xerophytes in the northwestern and
water and enters a shallow aquifer within the alluvial southeastern parts of the map that do not root to or use
valley fill. Some of this mixed water is discharged by ground water, (2) greasewood, rabbitbrush, and
Thermo Hot Springs, but most is discharged from a saltbush that obtain much of their water from the shal-
shallow water table by evapotranspiration of phreato- low ground water in the valley fill reservoir, and (3)
phytes. phreatophytes near the spring mounds that use rising
The distribution of the mixed thermal-nonthermal thermal water at rates greater than the surrounding
water in the alluvium is shown on three maps. Figure 7 phreatophytes. Net mixed-water discharge by
includes an audio-magnetotelluric map which shows phreatophytes from the hydrothermal system is com-
puted in table 7 as the difference between the gross
DESCRIPTION OF MAP UNITS discharge of the area and the estimated discharge if no
hydrothermal system were present. The estimated dis-
___ ;.:..:..:.. HYDROTHERMALLY(?)-RELATED PHREATOPHYTES
:...: ,
:i::::<:i;::.!.
......I..... Mostly saltgrass and pickleweed; locally some charge of mixed water by phreatophytes is 1.4 x
greasewood, rabbitbrush,and saltbush.Land surface m3/yr or equals a continuous flow of 44 U s . The portion
commonly covered with salt,and soil is damp to land
surface. Depth to water table generally less than 1 m. of this flow that is deep-circulating thermal water is
Includes tules around spring orifices and areas of about 40 percent or 18 Us.
ponded water Olmsted and others (1975, p. 66, p. 220-224) have
Bare playa soil except for locally scattered mounds of
greasewood and saltbush. Land surface white with developed two methods of estimating conductive heat
abundant salt east of spring mounds. Smaller salt discharge from hydrothermal systems. "heir method
accumulationwest of mounds. Soils damp and very (A) is based on a subsurface-temperature map and the
soft. Depth to water table generally less than 0.5 m
Mostly bare playa; locally some saltgrass and thermal gradient from the map's datum plane to the
pickleweed. Land surface less salty and soils less land surface. Method (B) is based on a heat-flow map for
m
ld damp than bare playa (preceding unit). Depth to
water table generally less than 2 m
Greasewood and rabbitbrush mixed with lesser
a hydrothermal system. Because both methods use the
same data base, only method (B) is presented in table 8.
Method (B) yields a conductive heat discharge from
ml O"0
amountsof pickleweed and saltgrass. Depth to water
table probably ranges between 1 and 3 m
Greasewood growing on a playa; land surface locally
salty.Depth to water table probably rangesbetween 2
and 5 m
the system of 16 x l O I 3 callyr; method (A),15 x 1013
cavyr. A third method was also used, based on an esti-
mated reservoir temperature of 200°C (table 6), convec-
..........
............. OTHER P H R E A T O P W
Greasewood,rabbitbrush, and saltbush.M ~ e with d big
tive water flow through the deep hydrothermal reser-
sage and shadscale on higher parts of the area. voir of 0.6 x 106m3/yr, and an ambient land-surface
Proportion of big sage and shadscale increases with temperature of 12°C. This last method yielded the low-
increase in altitude. Depth to water table ranges est of the three estimates, 11 x 1013 caVyr, and was
between 3 and 15 m
applied only to the area of evapotranspiration near the
Big Sage, shadscale, and associated xerophytes spring mounds. In that computation of convective flow,
growing on upland areas where depth to water table because no increment for warm ground-water flow to
exceeds about 15m;plants obtain moistureonly from
soils above water table the northeast from the thermal areas was included, the
Hot spring estimate of total heat discharge is probably too small.
--- LINEOF EQUALTEMPERATURE IN "=Dashed where The value 15 x 1013caVyr was selected to represent the
approximately located
probable heat discharge from the entire hydrothermal
FIGURE9.-Continued. system. As depth increases, the three heat anomalies
into a single hydrothermal system. Beryl ([C-33-16]32), and Lund ([C-32-14]21) (fig. 11).
Newcastle is in the southeastern part of the desert,
about 40 km west of Cedar City. Beryl is northwest of
SOUTHWESTERN ESCALANTE DESERT the valley axis and 30 km northwest of Newcastle. Lund
The southwestern part of the Escalante Desert is is 25 km northeast of Beryl along the Union Pacific
I /
130 5
38"lO
131
38"O
EXPLANATION
FIGURE
10.-Shallow conductive heat flow in the Thermo Hot Springs area.
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE HYDROTHERMAL RESOURCES OF UTAH H19
TABLE
7.-Euapotranspiratwn of mixed water fiom Thermo Hot Springs hydrothermal system
[1976 conditions.Thecombinedandnonhydmthermal system dischargerates are basedon w a r c h by Lee (1912),White (1932).Young and Blaney (1942),Houston (19501,Robinson (196%
and Ham and Rice (1972) m other areas]
Mostly saltgrass
pickleweed _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ <I 0.5 0.06 0.44 1,700 750
Bare playa soil_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ < .5 .6 .06 54 430 230
Bare laya, saltgrass,
anzpickleweed _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ <2 .4 .06 .34 520 180
Greasewood, rabbit-
brush, ickleweed,
and sal?gra,s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1-3 .2 .06 .14 1,400 200
Greasewood on laya 2- 5 .1 .06 .04 420 20
Greasewood, ragbit- ~ ~ - ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ _ ~
brush, and saltbush _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3-15 .06 .06 .o _- 0
Total (rounded) ---__----- -- __ -_ 1.3 4,500 21,400
106m3/yr)
(1.4~
'Average for area.
*Mixed thermal and nonthermal water.
Newcastle is on the floor of the Escalante Desert near charged was boiling, about 95°C at land surface (al-
the northwestern flank of the Pine Valley Mountains, a titude = 1,605k m). A water sample was collected after
range composed mostly of Tertiary volcanic rocks 6 hours of pumping; the chemical analyses are given in
(Hintze, 1963). The floor of the Escalante Desert is de- table 9. The dissolved-solids concentration was only
scribed by Crosby (1973, p. 28) as the central region of a 1,120 mg/L; the silica concentration was 99 mg/L; and
probable large caldera about 50 km in diameter. The the dominant ions were sodium and sulfate. On January
rim of the caldera includes the surrounding mountains 20, 1976, after a period of several weeks during which
and Table Butte as shown in figure 11.Crosby gives no the pump was idle, subsurface temperatures were
descriptions of the age or structure of the caldera in his measured in the well, resulting in the temperature pro-
report, but it is probably Tertiary. file in figure 13. The profile shows an alluvial aquifer
The detailed distribution of young igneous rocks in containing hot water at a depth below land surface
this area is poorly known. Some basic igneous rocks less between 70 and 110 m. Subsurface temperatures were
than 10,000 years old lie about 40 miles south of New- lower above and below this aquifer. The maximum tem-
castle, near the town ofVeyo (Smith and Shaw, 1975, p. perature recorded in the well was 107.8"C; the bottom-
82, listed under Utah as Santa Clara). The reconnais- hole temperature was 4.1"C less. The well was pumped
sance geology of the area is shown in figure 12. during the 1977 irrigation season; the water was cooled
During December 1975, a newly drilled irrigation in two ponds and applied to cropland by sprinklers.
well (C-36-15)20bbd was test pumped at rates as high as The estimated reservoir temperature for the hy-
108 Us.This well, owned by the Christensen Brothers of drothermal system, based on chemical analysis and
Newcastle, is 152 m deep, has a 40-cm-diameter casing, geothermometers, is 140"-170°C in table 6. The differ-
and a static water level of about 43 m. The water d i 5 ence in the calculations in table 6 probably results from
mixing of thermal and nonthermal waters. The
TABLE&-Estimated conductive heat discharge from T h e r m Hot maximum depth of circulation in the hydrothermal res-
Springs hydrothermal system-alluuial area only ervoir required to produce these temperatures is esti-
[Method B of Olmsted and others (1975. p. 67). The approximate area was determinedfmm
Rsum 101 mated to be 3-4 km, on the basis of regional heat flow of
Range in heat 2 HFU, thermal conductivity of the volcanic rocks that
flow units Approximate mean Approximate
(HFU) heat flow area Heat discharge underlie the area of 5 x lQ3 caYcm/s"C, and an ambient
( x lo-@caYcm2/s (HFU) (h') (X 1 v CaVS) land-surface temperature of about 14°C. The calcula-
tion assumes the absence of a shallow magmatic-heat
3.3 4.1
24 18 source. Using the graphic method of Truesdell and
5& 20? Fournier (1977) to estimate the mixing of thermal with
Total nonthermal water, the hot-water component of the
(rounded) _ _ _ _ 6 ao 50 mixed water is estimated to be about 60 percent on the
(16x 10l3callyr)
basis of data in table 6.
H20 GEOHYDROLOGYOF GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
Shape and size of the hobwater body in the valley-fill east of the thermal well (fig. 12). As hot water flows
(alluvial) aquifer are indicated in figures 12,14, and 15, northward from the fault zone, its temperature declines
as well as the temperature profile shown in figure 13. owing to conductive-heat loss, mixing with cold,
The recharge area for the hydrothermal system is shallow-aquifer water, or both. Westward flow is rela-
probably in the Pine Valley Mountains southeast of the tively small compared to northward flow; this probably
town of Newcastle. The upward flow of thermal water is results from higher transmissivity toward the north
through a permeable range-front fault zone 1km south- than toward the west. Faulting and lithologic changes
111
T
32
S
38"Oo'
T
33
S
T
34
S
T
35
S
3T45
Newcastle area
T
31
S
+ + -I 2.
cu
2
e+
0
0
10 KILOMETERS
5 MILES
I + +
f f f *1.7
I
Alkalinity, H, field _ _ _ _~ _ _ _ _ _ 7.6 Range in heat Geometric mean Approximate Heat discharge
flow units heat flow area ( x lor calls)
total bhosphate, (X 10-6 caI/l.rn~/s~ (HFUI (km21
(as CaCO,,) --mg/L 53 ortho,
Aluminum, dissolved as 1.2 6.0
dissolved - - - +g/L 40 phosphorus -mg/L ~ .04 1.0 2.4
Arsenic, Phosphate, 3.3 4.6
dissolved ----pglL 100 dissolved,
Barium, Ortho - - - - -mg/L ~ .I2
dissolved ----pg/L 300 Potassium,
Bicarbonate --mg/L 64 dissolved ----mg/L 21 Total
Boron, Residue, (rounded) - - - - '10 22 22
dissolved ----pg/L 710 dissolved (7.0 x 10l3caliyr)
Calcium, calculated 'Average for
dissolved - - -mg/L
~ 58 sum _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ mgiL 1,120
Carbonate - _ _ -mg/L 0 Sodium
Chloride, absorption
dissolved - - - _mg/L 52 ratio _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ -~
~ 9.7
Cobalt, Selenium, yr. The mixed water flows through the alluvium at an
dissolved _ _ - +g/L 0 dissolved - - +g/L ~ 0
Fluoride, Silica, estimated rate of 0.7 x 106m3/yr.
dissolved - - - -mg/L 7.3 dissolved - - _mg/L ~ 99 Figure 11 shows estimated heat flow based on meas-
Hardness, Sodium,
noncar- dissolved - - _mg/L ~ 270 ured temperature gradients for many sites in and near
bonate - - - - - -mg/L 95 Sodium-__-----Percent 77 the southeastern part of the Escalante Desert. In addi-
Hardness, Specific
total - - - - - - - -mg/L 150 conductance, tion to the Newcastle area, high heat flow is shown west
Iron, field _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _pmho 1,550 of Beryl and northwest of Lund. The Lund KGRA (fig. 1)
dissolved - - - +g/L 10 Specific
Lead, conductance, is a few kilometers southeast of Lund, but no data were
dissolved -__-pg/L 1 laboratory - -pmho 1,600 available that indicated high heat flow in the KGRA.
Lithium, Strontium,
dissolved _ _ - +g/L 460 dissolved, - - - -pg/L 1,100 Another area east of Table Butte may have high heat
Magnesium, Sulfate, flow, but data are sparse. In the irrigated area between
dissolved _ _ - -mg/L .4 dissolved - - - -mg/L 580
Manganese, Water Enterprise and Beryl, both upward and downward flow
dissolved - _ _ +g/L 70 tempera- of shallow ground water may be distorting conductive
Mercu ture --__----"C 97.0
d i s s x e d ----pglL .1 Yield-well - lis 95 heat flow to the land surface.
Molybdenum, Zinc,
dissolved _ _ - -pg/L 13 dissolved - - - -pg/L 20 MONROE AND JOSEPH KGRA
NO,+NO, as
Nitrogen, The Monroe and Joseph KGRA lies along the Sevier
dissolved - - - -mg/L .22
River in Sevier County, south-central Utah (fig. 1). The
Pavant Range is to the northwest, the Sevier Plateau to
the southeast. The towns of Joseph ([C-25-4]14) and
Monroe ((C-25-318 and 17) are on the flood plain of the
to the west may be factors reducing westward flow. A river. Joseph Hot Springs is about 2 km southeast of
helium-concentration survey (fig. 16) made by Denton Joseph (fig.17). Monroe Hot Springs is on the east edge
(1976) produced a pattern generally similar to those in of Monroe; Red Hill Hot Spring is about 1 km farther
figures 14 and 15 near the fault zone that produces the northeast.
hot water. He concludes that the helium is released from Tertiary volcanic rocks are dominant in the area.
solution in the water as a result of either temperature or Monroe and Joseph are near the north edge of the
pressure decline while the water flows laterally in the Marysville volcanic area, where volcanism was exten-
shallow aquifer (E. H. Denton, oral commun., 1977). sive and prolonged from middle to late Tertiary. The
Estimates of conductive-heat discharge to the land volcanic rocks range in composition from basalt to
surface were made using method (B) of Olmsted and rhyolite. Smith and Shaw (1975, p. 72) cite the age of the
others (1975) (table 10) yielding identical results to latest eruption, a rhyolite, as 20 million years. In the
method (A)of 7 x 1013cal/yr. Calculations of method (A) following discussion of the KGRA, Joseph Hot Springs
are not presented. Essentially all the discharge from the will be described separately from Monroe and Red Hill
hydrothermal system is by lateral ground-water flow Hot Springs because superficially it is a separate hy-
from the fault zone. The flow rate was computed on the drothermal system. Monroe and Red Hill Hot Springs
basis of an estimated conductive-heat discharge and a are parts of a single system.
reservoir temperature of 170°C. The estimated flow Monroe and Red Hill Hot Springsflow from travertine
from the hydrothermal reservoir is about 0.4 x 106m3/ mounds forming a bench at the western foot of the
H22 GEOHYDROLOGYOF GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
i Qvf
/ I
-!-)
T
35
S
/
" I
T
3E
S
*
/
37"37'3 Adapted from G. W. Sandberg.
from US. Geological survey 0
USGS,Cedar City, Utah, written
Newcastle 1:24,OOO,1972 communication 1976
0 1 2 MILES
FIGURE
12.-kconnaissance geologic map of the Newcastle area;and ground-waterlevels and directionofflow in the alluvium of the
Newcastle area, spring 1976.
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE HYDROTHERMAL RESOURCES OF UTAH H23
Sevier Plateau. The springs are near the Sevier Fault, were collected for only 1 year,-probably a period too
as shown on figure 18. Parry, Berson, and Miller (1976, short to establish trends and causes of the trends. The
p. 67) have mapped the consolidated-rock units near the annual spring flow was about 0.5 x 106m3. A small
spring. The principal units are Pliocene andesite and amount of additional water, about 0.05 x 106m3/yr,is
Miocene volcanic flows and tuffs. A flat valley floor west estimated to be discharged by evapotranspiration by
of the spring bench is underlain by alluvium of un- phreatophytes on the travertine bench. The flow of Red
known thickness (fig. 18) Hill Hot Spring, the largest spring in the complex, was
As part of this study, periodic measurements were at its maximum during October through March of the
made of all spring flow and water temperatures at period of record. Generally, this was also the period of
Monroe and Red Hill Hot Springs (table 11). From lower measured temperatures of the spring. This fact
March 1976 to March 1977 total flow varied from 11.0 to suggests that flow from the spring probably is a mixed
21.1 Us and temperature ranged from 72"-75"C. The water and that during the period of high flow the propor-
cause of the variation is not understood because data tion of nonthermal water in the mixture is larger than
during periods of low flow when the spring has higher
]
temperatures. On the basis of the graphic method of
CORREIATION OF MAP UNITS
estimating hot-water component in a mixed water
(Truesdell and Fournier, 1977) and data in table 6, it is
Q, ,\1-101ocene concluded that thermal water probably is mixing with
QUATERNARY an equal amount of nonthermal water between the
Pleistocene
point where it leaves the hydrothermal reservoir and
Tv TERTWY the springs. The thermal-water component in the mixed
water that is discharged by the springs was about 0.2 x
106m3/F.
F
l DESCRIPTION O F MAP UNITS
YOUNGER ALLUVIUM-Light-tan sandy silt and clay
deposited in nearly horizontal, playalike areas. Land
Samples of water from Red Hill and Monroe Hot
Springs (Mundorff, 1970,p. 16)had sodium, sulfate, and
surface is hard and commonly has desiccation cracks. chloride as the dominant ions as well as similar
F l Deposit is thin and unsaturated.
FLOOD DEPOSITS OF PlNTO CREEK-Light-tan to
light-brown sandy silt deposited by Pinto Creek on its
dissolved-solids concentrations of 2,630 mg/L and 2,700
mg/L, respectively. However, Red Hill had a silica con-
alluvial fan during frequent flood flows. Sand is centration of 83 mg/L compared to only 51 mg/L for
mostly fine-grained quartz and volcanic-rock
fragments. Material is mostly reworked Qf, described Monroe Hot Springs. Farther south on the Sevier fault,
below. Forms moderately hard land surface with Johnson Warmsprings (fig. 17),whose water chemistry
some desiccationcracks. Deposit is thiiand generally is much different than the other two springs, has dis-
unsaturated by ground water. Includes sand and
solved solids of only 428 mg/L.
F l gavel deposits along Pinto Creek in the mountaii.
ALLUVIAL-FAN DEPOSITS OF PINTO
CREEK-Mostly light-brown fine- to medium-
grained silty sand and sandy silt deposited by Pinto
Creek. Sand is mostly quartz and volcanic-rock frag-
I I I
ments. Material is derived mostly from volcanic rocks
of the Pinto Creek drainage basin in the Pine Valley
Mountains. Forms moderately soft land surface.
Depth to ground-water saturation ranges from 15 rn
to 30 m beneath the land surface. Water level
COLLUVIUM-Mostly medium- to dark-gray poorly 43m
sorted silt, sand, gravel, and boulders derived from - Location (C-36-15) 20 bbd
the adjacent volcanic rocks of the mountains. Under- Depth 152 m
lie a generally steep-sloping apron. Depth to Diameter 40 cm
ground-water saturation is generally greater than 30 Altitude 16052 m Principal hot-water
1
7 m.
LAKE BONNEVIUE SEDIMENTS-Mostly light-tan
sandy silt. Largely undissected. Land surface
aquifer, 70 to 110 m
-
generally less than 30 m. 107.8% at depths 85-95 m
VOLCANIC ROCKSLGenerally dark-gray basalt
[TvJ commonly vesicular. 140 -
Bottom hole temperature
103.7"C
-- Contact dashed where approximately located I I I I I
FIGUREl2.-Continued.
H24 GEOHYDROLOGY OF GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
R15W 113"30'
EXPLANATION
-60 - LINE OF EQUAL WATER TEMPERATURE,1976-
Dashed where approximately located. Interval
T 10 degrees Celsius, except for 15 degree line
3t lo7
S Well and temperature in "C
/
/ i
/
I
\
8
FIGURE
0
0* 1
3 KILOMETERS
2 MILES
113"37'30" R 16 W
R15W 1 1 '30'
EXPLANATION
-5- LINE OF EQUAL CONDUCTIVE HEAT FLOW-Dashed
where approximatelylocated. Units are p cal
cm-2 sec. - 1
0 70 Well and heat-flow units
\ n
,/'-
'-,i
/ .\ J
1
31
S
37"37'W
Base from US. Geological Survey
Newcastle 1:24.000. 1972
FIGURE
-
0
0 1
3 KILOMETERS
2 MILES
15.-Distribution of heat flow from the principal hot-water aquifet in the Newcastle area.
H26 GEOHYDROLOGYOF GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
1 1 395'30" 1 1 3'32'
The estimated reservoir temperature for the
Monroe-Red Hill Hot Springs hydrothermal system is
100"-16O"C, as determined from data in table 6. The
maximum depth of circulation to the hydrothermal res-
ervoir, in order to produce these temperatures, is esti-
mated to be about 2-4 km on the basis of a regional
conductive heat flow of 2 HFU, thermal conductivity of
the rock of about 5 x cal/cm/s"C, and an ambient
land-surface temperature of 12°C. The calculation as-
sumes the absence of a shallow magmatic heat source.
The hydrothermal system probably is recharged on
the Sevier Plateau, and thermal water circulates
upward through a permeable fracture zone associated
with the Sevier fault. In addition to the spring flow and
evapotranspiration, discharge of mixed water may in-
clude an undetermined amount of lateral subsurface
flow from the fault zone. Figure 17 shows a few data
points for heat flow and the area of probable above-
normal regional heat flow confined to the vicinity of the
fault.
The estimated heat discharge by spring flow and
evapotranspiration is 3 x 1013 cal/yr. This estimate is
0 1 2 KILOMETERS based on a waterflow from the hydrothermal reservoir of
a minimum of 0.2 X 106m3/yr(50 percent of spring and
0 1 MILE evapotranspiration discharge) and a n estimated
EXPLANATION maximum reservoir temperature of 160°C. Lateral sub-
surface flow from the fault zone would discharge ad-
-1 7 - - - LINE OF EQUAL HELIUM CON- ditional heat from the system.
CENTRATION-Dashed where approx-
imately located. Units are parts per Joseph Hot Springs is 8 km southwest and across a
billion in excess of ambient concen- low unnamed mountain ridge from Monroe Hot Springs
trations in air (fig. 17). The general geologic and topographic settings
FIGURE
16.-Helium concentrationsin the Newcastle area at a depth are similar to those at Monroe Hot Springs. The springs
of 0.6 m below land surface. flow from a travertine bench at the western foot of the
I I I
'
EXPLANATION
e3
Area of probable
high heat flow
.3 Well. Number is heat
T flow in cal/cmz sec
25
S
38"35'
I I I I I
-- I
FIGURE
I'l.-Estimated heat flow and measured spring temperatures in the Monroe-Joseph area.
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE HYDROTHERMAL RESOURCES OF UTAH H27
TABLE11.-Measured flow and tempemture of Monroe and Red Hill Hot Springs
[Loeations ofsites ahown on figure 181
Sites
Date Total
Red Hill Tunnel 1 -~ 2 3 4 5 6 7 flow
(US)
us "C us "C us "C Us 'c us "C us "C us 'C us 'C us "C
3-16-76 _ _ _ _ _ _ 5.7 _ _ _ _ 0.6 _ _ _ _ 0.3 _ _ _ _ 0.8 _ _ _ _ 0.4 ____ 0.1 _ _ _ - 0.1 -___ 4.1 - _ _ _ 0.2 ---- 12.3
4-13-76 _ _ _ _ _ _ 5.7 75 1.0 45 .2 40 .4 56 .4 50 .1 40 .1 ____ 4.4 47 .O ____ 12.3
5-11-76 - _ _ _ _ _ 5.6 75 .2 43 .1 38 .4 66 .3 48 .2 38 .1 ____ 4.1 48 .O _ _ _ - 11.0
6- 7-76 _ _ _ - _ _ 6.2 75 .5 45 .1 40 .4 65 .4 50 .2 40 .O ____ 4.7 48 _ _ _ _ ___- 12.5
7-21-76 _ _ _ _ - _ 6.6 75 <0.1 44.5 .1 39.5 .4 65.5 .4 50 .2 40.5 .O __-- 4.7 48 .O - _ _ - 12.4
8-24-76 _ _ _ _ _ _ 6.6 75 < .I 45 .1 40 .4 65 .4 50 .2 40 .1 ____ 4.6 48 .O _ _ _ _ 12.4
10- 5-76 _ _ _ _ _ _ 13.6 75 < .1 45 .1 40 .4 65.5 .4 48 .2 40 .O ____ 4.7 48.5 .O _ _ _ _ 19.4
12-27-76 _ _ _ _ _ _ 15.2 74 < .1 36 .5 40 .5 60 .5 45 .1 32 .O ____ 4.0 45 .O _ _ _ - 20.8
2- 1-77 _ _ _ _ _ _ 15.2 72 < .1 37 .4 39 .4 60 .4 46 .1 30 _ _ _ _ ____ 4.6 35 .O _ _ _ _ 21.1
3-26-77 _ _ _ _ _ _ 11.2 73 < .1 36 .4 39 .3 60 .4 41 .1 30 _ _ _ _ ____ 4.2 44 .O - _ _ - 16.6
ridge. The permeable zone through which hot water Chemical analyses' of samples from Joseph Hot
flows upward is the Dry Wash Fault zone. The narrow Springs (Mundorff, 1970, p. 16) show that the highest
flood plain of the Sevier River is west of the fault. Table silica concentration was 85 mg/L. That sample had a
12 lists the periodic measurements of all flow from dissolved-solids concentration of 5,150 mg/L. The domi-
Joseph Hot Springs. The flow ranges from 1.3 to 2.7 Us nant ions were sodium and chloride. The estimated res-
or an annual flow of about 0.07 x 106m3/yr.During the ervoir temperature (table 6 ) and depth of circulation of
year that measurements weremade, flow was generally thermal waters are about the same as for the Monroe-
declining for unknown reasons, but no pattern was ob- Red Hill Hot Springs system.
served in any relationship between flow and tempera- Recharge for the hydrothermal system may originate
ture as was observed at the Monroe-Red Hill Hot as precipitation in the nearby highlands or come from
Springs complex. The maximum observed temperature saturated alluvium underlying the Sevier River flood
of the springs was 65°C. In addition to the spring flow, a plain. During upward circulation from the hydrother-
small amount of water, about 0.01 x 106m3/yr,is esti- mal reservoir through the permeable fault zone, the
mated to be discharged by evapotranspiration of thermal water is estimated to mix with nonthermal
phreatophytes on the travertine bench. water in the proportion 35-65 percent, respectively.
TABLE12.-Measured flow and temperature of Joseph Hot Springs
[Sites 1-12 are progressively farther north, with 1 the southernmost and 12 the northernmost]
Sites
Date
1 2 3 4 5 6
US "C US "C us "C US "C US "C US "C
3- 16-76 0.8 --__ 0.1 ____ <0.1 --__ 0.1 ____ 0.3 ____ 0.5 _--_
4-14-76 .4 58 < .1 47 .1 50 .1 65 .3 65 .5 61
5-11-76 .2 47 .1 47 .1 49 .2 65 .3 64 .6 60
6- 7-76 .2 56 .1 48 .1 49 .2 64 .2 64 .7 60
7-21-76 .2 56 .1 47 .1 50 .2 64 .3 64.5 .6 60
8-26-76 .2 56 .l 47.5 .1 50 .2 64.5 .3 64.5 .7 60
10-26- 76 .2 56 .1 48 .I 49.5 .2 64 .3 64.5 .7 60
12-27-76 _-___-__ ---_ .2 52 < .1 48 < .1 48 .1 64 .3 55 .4 62
2- 1-77 -___-_____-- .2 45 < .1 46 < .1 48 .1 62 .4 57 .4 59
3-26-77 - _ _ - - _ _ _ - _ _ - .2 44 < .1 45 < .1 49 .1 61.5 .2 61 .2 60
Sites
Date
7 8 9 10 11 12 Total
I flow
us 'C us "C us "C us "C us "C us "C (US)
4
3-16-76 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 0.1 ____ <0.1 _-__ j 0.1 ____ 0.4 --__ 0.2 ____ 0.2 -___ 2.7
4-14-76 _________-__ .2
52 .1 61 2 .2 59 .4 42 .2 46 .2 37 2.7
5-11-76 ________-___ .2 47 .1 59.5 2 .2 58 .3 43 .2 59.5 $1 38.5 2.6
6- 7-76 ____________ .2 48 < .1 61 a .2 59 .2 43 .2 59 .I 38.5 2.4
5z
7-21-76 ____________ .2 47.5 < .1 61 .2 59 .2 42.5 .2 59.5 .1 39 2.4
8-26-76 ____________ .2 48 < .I 60.5 .2 60 .2 42.5 .2 60 .1 38.5 2.4
10-26-76 ____________ .2 47.5 < .1 61 .2 59 .2 43 .2 59.5 .1 39 2.5
12-27-76 ____________ < .1 47 < .1 60 II < .I 58 .5 43 .2 60 .1 38 1.8
2- 1-77 ____________ < .1 45 < .1 59 I .1 58 .3 41 .2 59 .I 38 1.8
3-26-77 ____________ < .1 48 < .1 58.5 I < .1 50 .3 44 .2 45 .I 33 1.3
H28 GEOHYDROLOGY OF GEOTHERMALSYSTEMS
Therefore, only about one-third of the earlier reported 170°C to an ambient land-surface temperature of 12°C.
rates of spring and evapotranspiration discharge would Lateral subsurface flow of mixed water from the fault
have circulated through the hydrothermal system. An zone to alluvium would discharge additional heat from
additional unknown amount of thermal water is being the system.
discharged into the alluvium from the fault zone.
The heat-flow values on figure 17, ranging from 8 to CRATER HOT SPRINGS
18 HFU, probably are the result of high temperature
gradients in the shallow ground-water system. Beneath Crater Hot Springs, also known as Baker Hot Springs
the alluvial aquifers containing this shallow lateral and Abraham Hot Springs, is about 30 km northwest of
flow, conductive heat flow toward the land surface prob- Delta, Utah (fig. l), at (C-14-8)lOS. The springs and
ably is much less, such as is illustrated by the tempei a- Crater Bench, a nearby, young basalt flow, are on the
ture profile in the Christensen Brothers well near northwestern part of the broad, nearly flat alluvial floor
Newcastle (fig. 13). of the Sevier Desert. The springs flow from a low
The estimated heat discharge by spring flow and travertine and alluvial mound a few hundred meters
evapotranspiration is 0.3 x 1013caVyr on the basis of a east of the lava flow. The altitude of the land surface at
cooling of thermal water from a temperature as high as the spring mound is about 1,410 m above sea level.
R3W 1 12"06'
/ /" I
Qa
Red Hill
Hot Spring
Qa
Tv
38"38
Y
Spring-depositedtravertine;
hydrothermally-altered
Tv rock
T
21
a Alluvial-apron deposits;
mostly sand and gravel
S Volcanic rock of Miocene
ase. Includes some land-
side deposits
Contact
Qa e- Sevier fault
400 METERS
Tv 0 lo00 FEET
\ \\ I
Base from aerial photographs: US.Geological Survey, 1953
w
0MILES 5 10
EXPLANATION
-
Contact
High-angle fault
Dotted where concealed
Low-angle fault
Sawteeth on upper plate
--- Ring fracture
Dashed whers Inferred
-2300 -
Aeromagnetic contour
Interval 100 gammas. Flown at 9,000 feet barometric
elevation; flight line spacing appmxfmately 1 mile
0
or0 deposit near Thomas Caldera
Be, beryllium
F. Puonpar
U, uranium
Mn, manganere
-L
Attitude oftlat sllica laminae in geodes in
rhyolite of the Keg Mountain
Adapted from Shawe. 1972
FIGURE
19.-Continued.
H32 GEOHYDROLOGYOF GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
FIGURE
2O.--Reconnaissance geologic map of the Crater Hot Springs area and a simple Bouguer gravity map of the
Crater Hot Springs area.
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE HYDROTHERMAL RESOURCES OF UTAH H33
mixed water is estimated to be 5 x 106m3/yr;this sum is
equal to a continuous flow of 160 Us.Additional water of
CORRELATION OF MAP UNITS unknown volume flows laterally from the area to be
discharged elsewhere. On the basis of the evaptranspi-
Holocene
1 QUATERNARY
ration estimate above, the estimate that 50 percent of
the mixed water is thermal water, a reservoir tempera-
ture of 140°C and an ambient land-surface temperature
of 14"C, the convective heat discharge is 36 x 1013call
Yr.
Pleistocene Heat-flow estimates made for four water wells near
Crater Hot Springs are shown on figure 24. The highest
heat flow was 2.8 HFU, only slightly higher than the
regional heat flow.
DESCRIPTION OF MAP UNITS
F] HYDROTHERMALLY-RELATED DEPOSITS
SPRING-MOUNDCREST DEPOSITS-Mostly red silt
and sand deposits rich in manganese oxide. Where
NAVAJO LAKE KGRA
deposits are dry, soil is fluffy. Travertine and Navajo Lake KGRA is on the Markagunt Plateau,
travertine debris locally present about 30 km southeast of Cedar City in southwestern
SPRING-MOUND DEPOSITS-Mostly light-gray silt
and clay, commonly transported by wind and trapped Utah (fig. 1).The Markagunt Plateau, part of the Col-
by moist ground. Minor amounts of travertine and orado Plateaus, is a horst bounded by two major fault
travertine debris on east slope of mound which has systems-the Hurricane fault zone on the northwest
an average slope of about 20 m/km
VALLEY-FLOOR DEPOSITS and the Sevier fault on the southeast. The width of the
SAND DUNES-Mostly small dunes of windblown, plateau near the KGRA is about 60 km. The Navajo
light-yellowish-brown sand partly stabilized by Lake KGRA has an area of only 10 km2 (table 2). It was
greasewood. Direction of sand movement is
F
O
djl northeast
DISSECTED DEPOSITS OF LAKE BONNE-
VILLE-Light-yellowish-gray silt and clay. Dissected
designated solely because of overlapping lease applica-
tion on Federal land, as is required by law.
Most of the rocks exposed at the surface are Tertiary
by local runoff and axial drainage southward on the
valley floor limestones (Wasatch Formation) and volcanic rocks in-
LAKE BONNEVILLE SEDIMENTS-Undissected, cluding highly permeable Quaternary basaltic flows.
light-yellowish-graysilt and clay underlying a valley Beneath these units is a thick sequence of mostly
floor having an average slope southwestward of less
than 1 m/km. Also present on Crater Bench in Mesozoic and older sedimentary rock, of which
relatively low areas sandstone is the most common (Hintze, 1963). Silicic
ALLUVIAL-APRON DEPOSITS lavas were erupted, but they are generally older than
ALLUVIAL FAN DEPOSITS-Mostly basalt boulders and
gravel in a matrix of light-yellowish-graysilt and sand the basaltic lavas. Smith and Shaw (1975, p. 82) list the
r]
below the mouth of small canyons cut into basalt largely unvegetated Markagunt basalt field as less than
flows of Crater Bench 10,000 years old.
COLLUVIUM-Mixture of mostly light-yellowish-graysilt
and clay with lesser amounts of slopewash debris No hot springs have been found in the Navajo Lake
derived from local upslope materials. Underlies area. A well drilled at ((2-36-7133,about 10 km north-
alluvial apron of intermediate slope east of the KGRA had a reported temperature of drilling
BASALT TALUSLAngular basalt blocks eroded from
Crater Bench and underlie irregular, steep slopes on mud returning in the bore to land surface of 43°C with a
the flank of the Bench drilling depth of 1,862 m. This mud temperature could
Fl CONSOLIDATED ROCKS
FUMAROLE BUTTE LAVA FLOWS-Black vesicular
to massive basalt forming Crater Bench. Mostly hrge,
be produced with a heat flow of less than 2 HFU. As a
result, the only possible indicator of geothermal poten-
angular blocks. Bench extends 30 m to 60 m higher tial is the very young basaltic flows.
than adjacent valley floor
Contact
Fault, bar and ball on downthrown side MEADOW AND HA'ITON HOT SPRINGS
---
-
- - 762-
Lineament of unknown origin. May be fault or fracture
Hot spring
Gravity contours in milligals
Meadow and Hatton Hot Springs are 18km southwest
of Fillmore (fig. 1) and a few kilometers north of the
Cove Fort-Sulphurdale KGRA (fig. 1)in southwestern
Utah. The springs are a t (C-22-6127ddS and tC-22-
FIGURE
20.--Continued. 6)35ddS, respectively, on a low alluvial spring mount in
Pavant Valley, a few kilometers west of the Pavant
H34 GEOHYDROLOGY OF GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
0
I
10 KILOMETERS
Adapted from A. A. R. Zohdy
0 5 MILES (USGS, Denver, written
communication, 19751
East
FIGURE
21.-Generalized cross section of Crater Bench.
Range. Underlying the alluvium of the spring area, Lithologic units are shown in figure 25. The most
volcanic rocks may be as shallow as 30 m from the land prominent geologic and topographic feature in the area
surface. is the spring-deposited travertine ridge at Hatton Hot
The Pavant Range has Paleozoic and Mesozoic Spring. The ridge is about 2 km long and rises perhaps
quartzite and other sedimentary rocks thrust westward 20 m above the general land surface. The shape and
over Navajo Sandstone of Triassic (?) and Jurassic age orientation of the ridge suggests fault control for the
(Hintze, 1963). North, west, and south of the springs, deposit-producingsprings. Extending outward from the
upper Tertiary and Quaternary basalt and basaltic ridge is the very low alluvial spring mound (fig. 25) that
andesite flows form low hills. A basaltic flow about 13 is marked by many north-trending lineaments that may
kilometers north of Hatton Hot Spring has been dated be faults. Travertine deposits at Meadow Hot Spring are
as less than 10,000 years old by Smith and Shaw (1975, small in volume, encircling the spring pool at the gen-
p. 82, Ice Springs field). eral land surface.
0
Spring and number listed in table
Ditch and direction of flow
Large main pool
not shown on figure 26, generally have discharge tem-
peratures of 13°C.
Mundorff(l970, p. 16) has published several chemical
39"37
'Y
15 14
Section comer in T 14 S,
R 8 W, Salt Lake
analyses for both Meadow and Hatton Hot Springs. He
reports water temperatures for Meadow Hot Spring
ranging from 29°C to 41°C. A sample collected in 1967
had a silica concentration of 47 mg/L and dissolved
solids of 4,900 mg/L. The principal ions were sodium and
chloride. The Hatton Hot Spring sample was collected at
a temperature of 38"C, had a silica concentration of 44
mg/L, had dissolved solids of 4,670 mg/L, and had ion
concentrations very similar to those of Meadow Hot
Spring.
The temperature of the hydrothermal reservoir, es-
T
14
timated with geothermometers, is possibly in the range
S of 70°C to 120°C (table 6). The maximum depth of circu-
lation required to produce the estimated reservoir tem-
peratures with normal regional heat flow is about 2-3
km; this estimate is based on a mean thermal conductiv-
ity of the underlying rock and thin alluvium of 5 x
0 500 METERS cal/cm/s"C and an ambient land-surface temperature of
- 1 12°C. The calculations assume the absence of a shallow
0 500 1WO FEET magma heat source.
FIGURE
22.-Spring orifices and pools on the mound of Crater Hot Recharge to the hydrothermal system probably re-
Springs. sults from percoiation downward from saturated al-
luvium of the area or from infiltration of precipitation in
The observed discharge from both Meadow and Hat- the Pavant Range. During upward flow, the thermal
ton Hot Springs was less than 1 Us in the summer of water may be mixing with nonthermal water in the
1976. Mundorff(1970, p. 40) reports aflow of about 4 Us proportion of about 40 percent thermal water and 60
from Meadow Hot Spring and an absence of flow at percent nonthermal water, as estimated by the graphic
Hatton Hot Spring during several recent years. The method of Truesdale and Fournier (1977). The mixed
temperatures at these two springs, and those at other water is discharged by the springs, by evapotranspira-
nearby sites, are shown in figure 26. The highest tem- tion of pheatophytes on the spring mound, and by sub-
perature, 67"C, was measured in a 27-mwell a few tens surface flow from the mound area principally to the
of meters north of Hatton Hot Spring. The 67°C temper- north and west. The observed spring flow in 1976 was
ature was measured from a depth of 5 m to total depth. small, but the evapotranspiration was large. Much of
TABLE14.-Evapotranspiratwn of ground water h r n Cmter Hot Springs hydrothermal system
[1975 conditions.The combined and nonhydrothennalsystem discharge rates are b a d on reseamh br Lee (1912), White (1932). Young and Blaney (1942), Houston (1950). Robinson (1965),
and Ham and Rice (1972) m other areas1
3m
,asefrornaerial
photographs: 0 1 KILOMETER
US. Geological
Survey, 1971
1
0 'h
11 MILE
FIGURE
23.-Phreatophyte distribution in the Crater Hot Springs area.
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE HYDROTHERMAL RESOURCES OF UTAH H37
DESCRIPTION OF MAP UNITS the rate of evapotranspiration. Only 40 percent of the
total discharge of mixed water is convective flow from
wA Mostly bare soil of lowlands. Minor amounts of saltgrass
and pickleweed locally. Discharging water probably
the hydrothermal reservoir or at least 4 x 106m3/yr.The
heat convectively discharged by this flow of water is at
not from Crater Hot Springs
Mostly greasewood, locally some rabbitbrush, saltbush,
least 43 x 1013cal/yr; this discharge figure is based on
pickleweed, and big sage the cooling of the convective flow of thermal water from
Mostly bare soil, saltgrass, and pickleweed on lowlands. a possible reservoir temperature of 120°C to an ambient
Soils are commonly moist and soft in the winter and land-surface temperature of 12°C.
;..:.;.:...-..
< spring and firm during the summer and fall
Mostly bare soil of spring mound;saltgrassand rabbitbrush Figure 27 shows a melting pattern of freshly fallen
grow locally snow near Hatton Hot Spring. According t o White
0 0 , : ~ 0
Meadow, saltgrass, and pickleweed on slopes of spring
mound and areas north of the mound. Some
(19691,very high heat flow ratesare required to produce
cottonwood and willow of north edge of spring such melting. Subsurface temperatures as high as 70°C
mound. Soils firm most of the time can be expected at depths of as little as 10 m under these
/-:I,\
Wet meadow with pickleweed and saltgrass. Soi are wet snowmelt areas.
and soft during winter and spring and dyer during
summer and fall
Mostly tuffs and very wet meadow on slopes of spring
mound and nearby lowlands; locally some willow
growth. Soh are usually soft at all times. Some VICINITY OF SALT LAKE CITY
lowlands may be covered with standingwater during
most winters and springs Geothermal resources in the Salt Lake City area
Crater Bench no phreatophytes or evapotranspirationof
ground water probably have no potential for electric power genera-
,
O- Hotspring tion, but they are discussed here because of their poten-
tial value for uses, such as space heating, associated
FIGURE23.-Continued. with urban development. Two areas of hydrothermal
potential have been mapped by Marine and Price
I R9W I 112;45'R8WI R l W ,
(1964). Their map has been modified as a result of ad-
T
ditional data that became available after its compila-
tion in 1959. The modifications involved the enlarge-
S ment of the hydrothermal areas, as shown on figure 28.
The map is based on discharge temperatures of wells
generally drilled to depths of 200 m or less.
The northern and larger of two areas extends gen-
erally westward from the faults along the Wasatch
Range front at least to the Great Salt Lake. The western
and northern boundaries of the warm-water body are
generally unknown; however, the map shows approxi-
mate southern and eastern limits. The warmest water
EXPLANATION *<l in the northern area issues from Becks (B-1- 1)14dcbS
:'8-Well. Number is estimated and Wasatch Hot Springs (B-l-l)25dbS, 56°C and
3g
S heat flow in p cal cm-2 sec-1 42"C, respectively. Both issue from Paleozoic limestone
10 KILOMETERS at the Warm Springs fault. The distribution of water
temperatures suggests that most of the warm water
5 MILES Suganrille 0 originates from faults in the eastern part of the warm-
water area, then migrates westward in the alluvium.
The hydrothermal area at the south end of Jordan
FIGURE
24.-Heat flow in the Crater Hot Springs area.
Valley has similar temperatures. Crystal Hot Springs
the mound area commonly is saturated to land surface (C-4-1)ll and 12bS(fig. 28) has a reported temperature
during the winter and spring; at other times, the water of 58°C. It, like Becks and Wasatch Hot Springs, prob-
table is at a depth commonly no greater than 2-3 m. The ably flows from a permeable fault zone. The heat in the
spring mound has an area of approximately 32 km2.The water is probably the result of deep circulation.
net evapotranspiration rate over the mound is esti- The warm-water areas (fig. 28) may be enlarged to a
mated to average on the order of 0.3 m; therefore, the greater extent as more data become available. The
estimated evapotranspiration of mixed water is about southern area might be extended farther northward
10 x 106m3/yr.The rate of underflow to the west and into the area northyest of Sandy, and the northern area
north is unknown, but is estimated to be much less than may be enlarged westward and possibly northward.
H38 GEOHYDROLOGY OF GEOTHERMALSYSTEMS
38%
T 22
T 23
i
/
;+ + +
i
/ 10 12
9 ; 7
I
BSB from aerial photographs: 0 1 KILOMETER
US. Geological Survey, 1953 \
0 1 MILE
FIGURE25.-Reconnaissance geologic map of the Meadow and Hatton Hot Springs area.
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE HYDROTHERMAL RESOURCES OF UTAH H39
Discovery of warm water at shallow depths elsewhere in
CORRELATION OF MAP UNITS
the valley is unlikely.
Hdocene Becks and Wasatch Hot Springs yield sodium
chloride-type waters with fairly high concentrations of
dissolved solids, 13,000- 14,000 mg/L and 6,000- 13,000
- QUATERNARY m g h , respectively. Crystal Hot Springs yields water
Qmx Pleistocene with lower dissolved-solids concentrations, in the range
Qmt
of 1,300-1,700 mg/L. Water flowing from faults to the
alluvium near the springs probably has ion concen-
trations similar to the springs. As this water mixes with
Tzbf - TERTIARY nonthermal water in the alluvium, the mix will have
chemical characteristics intermediate between water
DESCRIPTION O F MAP UNKS types. In the northern area, the water in the alluvium
Fl HYDROTHERMALLY REJATED DEPOSITS
SPRING-MOUND TRAVEFfTlNE-Highly porous to
dense and banded calcium carbonate deposited
will, therefore, have dissolved solids that are highly
concentrated but less concentrated than the spring flow.
during the cooling and evaporation of water
discharged from the Hatton Hot Spring system. Water from Becks, Wasatch, and Crystal Hot Springs or
Commonly light tan, yellow or greenish gray. The from wells nearby may be useful for space heating, but
mound of its crest extends 10 m above the adjacent
development of wells in the vicinity of the springs may
F l valley floor
SPRWG-MOUND T A L U S - M ~ ~angular ~ ~ ~ fragments
of traawrtine forming the flank of the spring mound,
stop the spring flow.
resulting from the disintegration of Qmf described
above. Mostly sand and gravel size; some larger
Fl blocks
SPRING-MOUND COLLUVIUM-Tan silty fine- to
medium-grained sand. Dominantly travertine
GREAT SALT LAKE DESERT
fragments carried by infrequent runoff from the Thick beds of high-porosity clay underlie the Great
mound. Minor salt crust present in some damp Salt Lake Desert of northwestern Utah (fig. 1). Such
low-altitude areas.Surface generally is firm.Material
saturated at shallow depths with ground water, beds have a n insulating quality, impeding the conduc-
Fl having temperatures as high as 67°C
SPRING-MOUNDCOLLUVIUM-Mostly tiin to brown
sandy silt and silty sand derived characterktidy by
tive flow of heat to land surface. As a result, geothermal
gradients must be high to discharge the heat flowing
disintegration and erosion of spring mound upward in the earth's crust. For example, if a regional
travertine. Areas to the north and west have
ground-water saturation generally to within 1m ofthe heat flow of 2 HFU and a thermal conductivity of porous
land surface resulting in a surface salt crust or gassy clay of 2 x caUcm/s"C are assumed to be reasonable
wet areas. Locally,some areas have dry, fum surface
values, the computation of the geothermal gradient
I) VALLEY-FLOOR DEPOSITS
LAKE BONNEWLLE SEDIMENTS-Mostly medi-
um-brown sandy silt; relatively undissected. Land
would be:
surface, usually near horizontal and flat usually damp
and hard; salt crust and marsh areas commonnear
I=
HFU x lo2
springs and seeps. Depth to ground-water saturation K
I] generally less than 1 m
DISSECTED LAKE BONNEVILLE SEDI-
MENTS-(See above description of QI.) Dissected by where
infrequent runoff. Locally includes blow sand, sand
dunes, and playa silt and day. Depth to ground-water I is the geothermal gradient in "C/km,
saturation variable and dependent on topographic HFU is heat-flow units in pcaYcmzls, and
F] position
SAND BAR-Tan, medium- to coarse-sand and fine
gravel. Mostly quark, trawrtine, and volcanic-rock
K is thermal conductivity.
The calculation becomes
fragments. Bars extend about 1 m above the general
land surface.Formed in Lake BonneviUe at an altitude
gradient data on the Bonneville Salt Flats in the west- table 18.) Table 18 lists temperatures and heat-flow
ern part of the Great Salt Lake Desert, of Turk (1973) data for nearly 100 wells and springs. It is not designed
and Whelm and Petersen (19741,support a conclusion to be a comprehensive listing of such data for Utah, but
that a geothermal potential may exist in the area. rather a limited listing for widely spaced data points
selected to provide information on wells and springs
OTHER AREAS having mostly above-ambient temperatures.
The few geothermal areas described in this report
were selected because they appear to have the highest
development potential. However, other areas in west- SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
ern Utah may have important geothermal potential.
Additional sources of geothermal data on these areas 1. Several publications have summarized data on hot
are the thermal-spring report by Mundorff (1970), and warm springs in Utah (Stearns, Stearns, and War-
gomputer-stored temperature data of the Water Fte- ing, 1937; Waring, 1965;and Mundorff, 1970). As a
sources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, and result, no attempt was made to include in this report
other data in the files of the U.S.GeologicalSurvey. (See comprehensive tables of descriptions and data for ther-
3855
L A V A B E D S Mountain /---
\
/
/' \
/ \
/
leat-flow estimates
based on subsurface -T= 14"
temperature meas-
urements
/
\T=15.5"
\
EXPLANATION \
0 \
Area of probable high
conductive heat flow
I
I
o3 Well. Number is heat flow I
I
-
in 1 cal m - 2 sec-1
T= 13"
P Spring and temperature
in "C
0 1 2 KILOMETERS
i 0 1 MILE
03 0 3.7
FIGURE
26.-Estimated heat flow and water temperatures in the Meadow and Hatton Hot Springs area.
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE HYDROTHERMALRESOURCES OF UTAH H41
TO MEADOW less than 6 million years old crop out at many places,
mostly in the southwestern part of Utah. Basalts as
young as 10,000 years have been mapped.
3. The principal source of geothermal fluids is water
stored in the hydrothermal reservoir and water enter-
ing the system as recharge from precipitation. Because
of the semiarid climate of most of the area, most geo-
thermal development for generation of electricity will
remove fluids from storage at a higher rate than natural
replenishment.
38"51'
4. Conductive heat flows t o the land surface at a
T22 S generally high rate in the Basin and Range province of
Utah are probably due to crustal thinning and possibly
T23 S due to intrusion of young magmas into the earth's crust
at shallow depths. The rates of conductive heat flow are
commonly in the range of 1.5-2.5 HFU and probably
average about 2.0 HFU. This is about normal for the
Basin and Range province and considerably higher than
Area of rapid snowmelt the average of about 1.6 HFU for the entire earth.
1-
I
Contact
Hatton Hot Springs
Base from aerial photographs:
5. High-temperature convection systems may be lo-
cated by searching for high-silica volcanic and intrusive
rocks that are of Quaternary age. Mapping of faults,
hydrothermally altered rock, and thermal-spring de-
U.S.Geological Survey, 1976 TO HATTON
posits, along with the drilling of temperature-gradient
0 500 METERS holes, would be desirable components of an exploratory
t-+-Lt--f--' program.
0 500 1WO 1500 FEET 6. Drilling for hot, high-silica, buried bodies of rock
FIGURE
27.-Areas ofrapid snowmelt near Hatton Hot Springs,
would best be pursued in the areas of recent volcanic
March 1976. activity.
7. Some geothermal systems may be related to cal-
mal springs. However, data for selected hydrothermal deras because of their potential for eruption of large
systems are presented and summarized in table 15. volumes of silicic rock. An example is the potential
2. Geologicfactors are more favorable for geothermal relation of Crater Hot Springs and Crater Bench to
resources in the Basin and Range province than on the Thomas, Keg, and Desert calderas.
Colorado Plateaus or in the Middle Rocky Mountains. 8. The southwestern part of Utah probably has the
The structure of the Basin and Range province is a most promising geothermal potential, judged on the
result of sizable east-west crustal extension and crustal basis of spring temperatures, silica concentrations, and
thinning during the last 17 million years. Igneous rocks deposits such as siliceous sinter and sulfur.
Roosevelt - - _ - _ _ _ - - _ _ - - _ _ Minor
_ Minor Principal Unknown Unknown 260-290 85 6-7
Cove Fort-
Sulphurdale - - _ _ _ _ _- ___--___do_ _ _ _ None - - --do-_- - _ -- -do_-- - _ _ --do- _ _ _ 20Or --__ 5
Thermo - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 0.6 0.02 Probably 0.6 15 140-200 82.5
~ 40 -~4
3-
small -
New Castle _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Minor None 0.4 .4 7 140-170 '107.8 60 3- 4
Monroe-Red Hill_-- _ _ - _ - _ _ .02 .2 Unknown .2 3 100-160 75 50 2- 4
Joseph _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ Minor .02 ____do____ .02 .3 100-170 65 35 2-4
Crater _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2.5 y) ____do_ _ _ - 2.5 36 110-140 87 50 1.3-1.7
Meadow-Hatton _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4 Minor ____do
____ 4 43 70-120 '67 40 _._.
'Meamred in well.
'Supports phreatophytes and evaporates. Included in the evapotranspirationestimate.
H42 GEOHYDROLOGY OF GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
+ + + +
+ + + + + + + +
""V""""
+ + + + t + +
2 Wasatch Hotsprings + +
+ + + +
+ + + +
+ + + + + + +
+ + + + + +
+ + + + + + +
+ + + + + +
+ + + + m + +
++++++++ss++++++ +
+ + + + $ + + + +
+ + + +
+ + + +g++++ + +
+ + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + +
+ + + $ + + + + +
+ + C Y + + + + +
+ + +o+ + + + + +
+ + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + +
+ + + + ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + +
0 1 2 3 4 5
0
I ( I 1
1
V
2
I 1
3
I
4
'
5 MILES + + + +
The earth's crust Geophysical Monograph Series, v. 20, Ameri- San Francisco Mountains and vicinity, southwestern U t a h Utah
can Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C., p. 626-675. Geological and Mineralogical Survey Bulletin 98, 24 p.
Lee, C. H., 1912, An intensive study of the water resources of a part of Schubert, Gerald, and Anderson, 0. L., 1974, The earth's thermal
Owens Valley, California: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply gradient Physic9 Today, v. 27, no. 3, p. 28-34.
Paper 294,135 p. Shawe, D. R., 1972, Fkconnaissance geology and mineral potential of
Lee, W. T.,1908, Water resources of Beaver Valley, Utah: U.S. Thomas, Keg, and Desert calderas, central Juab County, Utah:
Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 217, 57 p. U S . Geological Survey Professional Paper 800-B, p. B67-B77.
Liese, H. C., 1957, Geology of the northern Mineral Range, Millard Smith, R. L., and Shaw, H. R., 1975, Igneous-related geothermal sys-
and Beaver Counties, U t a h Salt Lake City, Utah, University of tems, in Assessment of geothermal resources of the United
Utah, unpublished M.S. Thesis, 88 p. States-1975: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 726, p. 58-83.
Lovering, T. S., and Goode, H. D., 1963, Measuring geothermal gra- Smith, T. B., 1974, Gravity study of the Fumerole Butte area, Juab
dients in drill holes less than 60 feet deep, East Tintic District, and Millard Counties: Salt Lake City, Utah, University of Utah,
Utah: US. Geological Survey Bulletin 1172, 48 p. unpub. M.S. thesis, 54 p.
Marine, I. W., and Price, D., 1964, Geology and ground-water re- Steams, N. D., Stearns, H. T., and Waring, G. A., 1937, Thermal
sources of the Jordan Valley, Utah: Utah Geological and springs in the United States: US. Geological Survey Water-
., Mineralogical Survey Water-Resources Bulletin 7, 68 p. Supply Paper 679-B, p. B59-B206.
Milligan, J. H., Marselli, R. E., and Bagley, J. M., 1966, Mineralized Stephens, J. C., 1974, Hydrologic reconnaissance of the Wah Wah
springs in Utah and their effect on manageable water supplies: Valley drainage basin, Millard and Beaver Counties, Utah: Utah
Utah State University, Utah Water Research Laboratory Report Department of Natural Resources Technical Publication no. 47,
WG23-6, 50 p. 53 p.
Mower, R. W., and Cordova, R. M., 1974, Water resources of the Mil- Stewart, J. H., 1971, Basin and Range structure: A system of horsts
ford area, Utah, with emphasis on ground water: Utah Depart- and grabens produced by deep-seated extension: Geological Soci-
ment of Natural Resources Technical Publication 43, 106 p. ety of America Bulletin, v. 82, no. 4, p. 1019-1044.
MundorfT, J. D., 1970, Major thermal springs of Utah: Utah Geologi- Stewart, J. H., Moore, W. J.,and Zietz, Isidore, 1977, East-west pat-
cal and Mineralogical Survey Water-Resources Bulletin 13,60 p. terns of Cenozoic igneous rocks, aeromagnetic anomalies, and
Olmsted, F. H., Glancy, P. A., Harrill, J. R., Rush, F. E., and Van mineral deposits, Nevada and Utah: Geological Society of
Denburgh, A. S., 1975, Preliminary hydrogeologic appraisal of America Bulletin, v. 88, no. 1, p. 67-77.
selected hydrothermal systems in northern and central Nevada: Swanberg, C. A., 1974, "he applicationoftheNa-K-Cageothermome-
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 75-56, 267 p. ter to thermal areas of Utah and the Imperial Valley, California:
Parry, W. T., Berson, N. L., and Miller, C. D., 1976, Geochemistry and Geothermics, v. 3, no. 2, p. 53-59.
hydrothermal alteration at selected Utah hot springs: Utah Uni- Truesdell, A. H., and Fournier, R. O., 1977, F'rocedure for estimating
versity Department of Geology and Geophysics Final Report, v. 3, the temperature of a hot-water component in a mixed water by
131 p. using a plot of dissolved silica versus enthalpy: U.S. Geological
Petersen, C. A., 1975, Geology of the Roosevelt Hot Springs area, Survey Journal of Research, v. 5, no. 1, p. 49-52.
Beaver County, Utah: Utah Geological and Mineralogical Sur- Turk, L. J., 1973, Hydrogeology of the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah:
vey, Utah Geology, v. 2, no. 2, p. 109-116. Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey, Water-Resources
Renner, J. L., White, D. E., and Williams, D. L., 1975, Hydrothermal Bulletin 19, 81 p.
convection systems, in Assessment of geothermal resources of the U.S. Weather Bureau (no date), Normal annual and May-September
United States-1975: U S . Geological Survey Circular 726, p. precipitation for the state of Utah. Map of Utah, scale 1:500,000,1
5-83. sheet.
Robinson, T. W., 1965, Water use studies utilizing evapotranspiration Waring, G. A,, [revised by R. R. Blankenship and Ray Bentall], 1965,
tanks, in Water resources of the Humboldt River near Win- Thermal springs of the United States and other countries of the
nemucca, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper world -A summary: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper
1795, p. 83-104. 492,383 p.
Rowley, P. D., 1978, Geologic map of the Thermo 15-minute quad- Whelan, J. A., 1970, Radioactive and isotopic age determinations of
rangle, Beaver and Iron Counties, Utah: US. Geological Survey Utah rocks: Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey Bulletin
Geologic Quadrangle Map GQ-1493, 1 sheet. 81, 75 p.
Rowley, P. D., Anderson, J. J.,and Williams, P. G., 1975, A summary Whelan, J. A,, and Petersen, C. A., 1974, Bonneville Salt Flats-A
of Tertiary volcanic stratigraphy of the southwestern high possible geothermal area?: Utah Geological and Mineralogical
plateaus and adjacent Great Basin, Utah: U.S. Geological Survey Survey, Utah Geology, v. 1, no. 1, p. 71-82.
Bulletin 2405-B, 20 p. White, D. E., 1969, Rapid heatrflow surveying of geothermal areas,
Rush, F. E., 1977, Subsurface-temperature data for some wells in utilizing individual snowfalls as calorimeters: Journal of
western Utah: U S . Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-132, Geophysical Research, v. 74, no. 22, p. 5191-5201.
36 p. White, D. E., and Williams, D. L., eds., 1975, Assessment of geother-
Sass, J. H.,Lachenbruch, A. H., Munroe, R. J., Greene, G. W., and mal resources of the United States-1975: U S . Geological Sur-
Moses, T. H., Jr., 1971, Heatflow in the western United States: vey Circular 726, 155 p.
Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 76, no. 26, p. 6376-6413. White, W. N., 1932, A method of estimating ground-water supplies
- 1976, A new heatflow contour map of conterminous United based on discharge by plants and evaporation from soil: U.S.
States: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-756, 24 p. Geological survey Water-Supply Paper 659-A, 105 p.
Sass, J. H., and Munroe, R. J., 1974, Basic heat-flow data from the Young, A. A., and Blaney, H. F., 1942, Use ofwater by native vegeta-
United States:U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 74-9,426 tion: California Department of Public Works, Division of Water
P. Resources Bulletin 50, 154 p.
Schmoker, J . W., 1972, Analysis of gravity and aeromagnetic data,
TABLES 16, 17, AND 18
H46 GEOHYDROLOGY OF GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
TABLE
16.-Inwntory of Therm Hot Springs'
[Flow rate:Estimatedtotalvisible flow of the orifices. Elevation:Referenceto adjacentland surface(LS).Specificconductance is in pmhodcm at 25°C. + indicates very small flows.See fig. 10 for'
map no.1
Flow Principal orifice
Number Eleva- Tempera- Specific
of Length Width Depth tion ture conduct-
t p orifim us Direction (m) (m) (m) (m) rC) ance Remarks
West spring mound
rings in south meadow area:
sp 1 1 + Southwest 0.7 0.4 0.1 At LS 39 Southernmost spring on mound.
2 1 0.01 Southwest .3 .3 1.0 At LS 70 Located 3 m north-northeast of No. 1 along mound
axis.
3 4 +
Southwest .3 .3 .3 At LS 66 20 m north of No. 2. Sinter deposits nearby.
4 4 +
Southwest .3 .3 1.0 At LS _--_ North end of meadow a t shoulder of mound. Sinter
and east deposits nearby.
Springs flowing east in &st& grassy channels:
5 2 + East .4 .3 .6 At LS 56 15 m north of No. 4.Located slightly east of mound
axis. Deposits of salt on surface.
6 2 + East .4 .4 ____ At LS 54 Springs are oriented east-west. Only east spring sup
ports grass; on east flank of mound.
7 4 + East .3 .3 1.7 +0.3 72 Mound is sinter, 1.5 m in diameter. Other three
orifices are smaller and 3-6 m northeast.
8 5 + East .3 .2 .6 At LS _-__ Water flows to and ponds on lowlands near mound.
Springs flowing in poorly developed channels:
9 5 + ____ .3 .3 1.5 At LS 61 At southwest edge of north-south elongated grassy
area, 11 m north of No. 8.
10 4 + East .4 .3 .6 At LS 70 Channel extends part way down flank.
Springs flowing east in grassy channels to lowlands:
11 9 .1 East .5 .3 .6 - .7 65 Spring area has three distinct arms a t mound axis.
12 3 .1 East .2 .2 .3 -.8 74 Principal spring is middle spring of group.
Spring flowing west:
13 5 .3 West .3 .3 -__- - .8 67 On mound axis near south edge of trail crossing
mound. Flow ponds on lowlands.
Springs north of trail crossing mound:
14 1 + East .3 .2 .1 At LS 66 A t east margin of mound.
15 1 3 West .8 .7 .8 -.8 82.5 Located slightly west of mound axis i n southern part
of a 20-m diameter tule area.
16 2 2 East .2 .2 ___- -.5 54 At east mar 'n of mound.
17 1 + East .2 .05 ____ At LS 61 On east f l a z o f mound. Farthest north of springs on
mound.
Summary of springs on west mound:
Number of orifices: 54 Maximum temperature: 82.5%
Total visible flow: 1-2 Us Specific conductance range: 1,650-2,100 pmhodcm
East spring mound
Springs in south area:
1 1 + East .3 .2 .3 AtLS 64 __-- Half way up east flank of mound. Wet grassy area 10
m north, but no orifice.
2 2 + East .2 .2 _--- -.4 57 _--- Half way up east flank of mound.
3 1 -_-- _-_- .2 .2 .6 AtLS 61 _--- Sli htly higher on mound flank than No. 2. Sinter
&posits nearby.
4 1 .1 East .3 .3 .6 At LS 67.5 ---- At west edge of tules area.
B l + East .4 .3 .3 -.4 56 1,700 On mound axis. Flow is to large tules area.
Spring in tules area (30 m x 150 m):
6 4 + East ____ Half way up east flank of mound. Three grassy chan-
nels carry minor flow to lowlands.
Springs north of tules area:
7 1 .2 East 2 1 >4 -.7 70 2,000 Two-thirds down east flank of mound and 20 m north
of tules area.
8 1 + East 1 1 .2 -.7 36 _ - - - At southwest corner of man-made reservoir.
9 0 + East _-_- ____ __-_ At LS ___- ---- Seep; 150 m northeast of reservoir. Sinter deposits
nearby on lowlands.
Spring at north end of mound:
10 3 .I Northeast ---- ____ 2 AtLS 68 ____ Three-fourths down north end, of mound.
Summary of springs on east mound:
Number of orifices: 15 Maximum temperature: 70°C
Total visible flow: 0.5- 1.0 Us
'Inventory made in April and May 1976.
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE HYDROTHERMAL RESOURCES OF UTAH H47
TABLE17.-Znuentory of Crater Hot Springs, February 1976
[Directions, distmces, dimensions, and flow rates are estimated. See figure 28 for locations of larger springs.Size: Small, length and width less than 0.2 by 0.2 m. Flow: Small, less than about
0.05 US]
Maximum Remarks
Location Size temper-
Pool or h x width x Flow ature
oriflce (le%, Bth; in m) (US) ("C)
Main pools:
South (S) Southwest flank of spring-mound crest __32 x 7 x 0.3 0 28 Many small orifices, most1 in southeast
corner of pool; undraineJ.
North (N) Northwest flank of spring-mound crest --30 x 4 x 1 c.1 58 Drains in ditch to northeast.
Along southwest ditch:
D1 - _ _ _ _10_ m southwest of main pool-south _ _ _ _ _ _ 0.3 x 0.3 x 0.2 1-2 63
D2 - _ _ _ _ _ 5 m southwest of D1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Small Small 74
D3 _ _ _ _ _ _ 15 m southwest of D2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.2 x 0.2 x 0.1 Small _-
D4 - - _ _ _ _ 2 m southwest of D3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ____ ? 80 Group of three orifices, 3-4 m west of ditch.
D5 _ _ _ _ _ _ 9 m southwest of D4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 x 1 x 1 77 Group of three orifices, 1 m west of ditch.
D6 _ _ _ _ _ _ 3 m southwest of D5 near bush 2 m high _ _ ____ _- 1 m southeast of ditch.
D7 _ _ _ _ _ _ 1 m southwest of D6 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ __-_ _-
D8 _ _ _ _ _ _ 9 m southwest of D7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ____ Small 69 11 m northwest of swamp.
D9 _ - _ _ _ _ 9 m southwest of D8 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ Small ? _- 5 orifices in ditch and many to southeast.
D10 ______Southwest of fence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 84 Two orifices; temperature is of northeast
orifice.
East of main pools:
E l _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _20 m east of main pool-south _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6 x 5 x 0.5 0 38 No visible orifices.
E2__--_-__12m northeastofE1 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _x _4_ x_ _0.2 7 0.3-0.6 82 Ditch extending east southeast. At end of
ditch, flow = 5 U s and temperature =
65°C.
E3_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 100 m east of E2 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1 x 0.5 x 0.5 .3 64 Similar orifice 2 m northeast.
E4_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 140 m east southeast of main pool-north A . 5 x 17 x 0.5 .3 87 Trenched east; flow dissipates.
E5 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 90 m east of E4 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1.5 x 1.5 x 0.2 0 -_
R l _ _ _ _ _ _20 f
Recycling pools east o main pools:
_ _m sout west of E5 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1 x 1 x 0.6
R2 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 25 m east of R1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 x 0.7 x 1
Small
3
71
70
Swamp on south; brush on north.
Source orifice in west end of pool.
R3- _ - _ _ _ _ _ 15 m southeast of R2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ____ 5 29 Source is surface flow from swamp. Several
other recycling orifices to east.
Northeast of main pools:
N1 _ _ _ _ _ _ 30 m east of main pool-north _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5 x 5 x 0.5 0 25
N2 _ _ _ _ _ _ 70 m northeast of main pool-north _ _ _ _ _ _ 3 x 3x 1 .1 59
N3 _ - - - _3_0 1 m w e s t o f N 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 x 1 xO.2 Small 77
N4 ----__1& m west of N3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ---_ .3 __ Several orifices; along ditch draining north-
east from main pool-north.
Main drain; spring:
-----____ _ m east of main pool-north
500 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _3 x 4 x I 72 52 Drains in ditch to northeast and then north
toward set of buildings. Specific conduc-
tance was 5,800 Fmhos.
Beaver area
Eastern Utah
Milford-Minersville area
Northwestern Utah
-~
74 22 D 150 4
183 28.5 M 72 <2 Near Salt Lake City airport.
79 24 D '60 4
50 28 D 7
70 24 D 4
146 24 D 3
274 55 D 5
61 22 D 3.6 Temperature data from Stephens
(1974, p. 44).
D 4
D ____
D __--
D ____
D ____
D __--
D ____ Warm Spring No. 2.
D ____ Black Butte Spring.
D ___-
D ___-
D ___-
D ____
D __--
D __--
D __--
D ___-
D ____ Head Spring.
RECONNAISSANCE OF THE HYDROTHERMAL RESOURCES OF UTAH H49
TABLE18.Qelected subsurface temperature and heat-flow drrtn not summarized on maps-Continued
Temperature Average Estimated
Total Temperature conductive Remarks
Degrees Deserip gradient heat flow
“C tion ‘C/h (HFU)
Northwestern Utah-Continued
Southwestern Utah