| Authors |
Erdenesaikhan Ganbat, Batmagnai Erdenechimeg, Purevsuren Dorj, Boldbaatar Burentsagaan, Enkhdalai Batkhuyag, Naranchimeg Batsaikhan, Davaadalai Tumendalai, Dagdan Ravdandorj, Munkhbat Sovd |
| Abstract |
Mongolia, a landlocked country between Russia and China, faces severe winter air pollution in its capital, Ulaanbaatar, one of the world’s ten coldest capitals, due to reliance on coal-based heating. As part of national efforts to transition toward renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, preliminary geothermal investigations, including a literature review and regional magnetotelluric and geological surveys, were initiated in Q1 of 2025 near the capital city Ulaanbaatar. The study area belongs to the Ulaanbaatar terrane of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, comprising mid-Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks intruded by early Mesozoic granites, unconformably overlain by Mesozoic volcanogenic-sedimentary units and Quaternary sediments. New conductivity model showed several prominent resistivity anomalies, including lower crustal conductivity features (C1-C2) and shallow lateral conductors (C3). The C1 zone of a wide, prominent, low-resistivity (<500 Ω·m) anomaly extends from 13 to 25 km depth, possibly representing remnants of partial melting. Above it, (C2) mid-resistivity linear anomalies (500–5000 Ω·m) that ascend through the high-resistivity Paleozoic host rocks (>5000 Ω·m). On the one hand, C2 structures coincide with the seismically active NE-striking fault zones and NW-striking fault zones on geological maps. Most importantly, some of the C3 conductors, especially in the western (Sonsgolon), southwestern (Khushig Valley), and eastern (Khonkhor) parts of the study area, appear to be rooted in the C1-C2 conductors and may be favorable conditions for the geothermal reservoirs. |