| Title | Application of Remote Sensing for Accelerating Early-Stage Geothermal Exploration in Canada |
|---|---|
| Authors | Wanju YUAN, Stephen E. GRASBY, Zhuoheng CHEN, Di LU, Zachary DEWIS |
| Year | 2026 |
| Conference | Stanford Geothermal Workshop |
| Keywords | remote sensing, satellite imagery, land surface temperature, geothermal anomaly, various geological features |
| Abstract | Early-stage geothermal exploration in Canada is challenged by remote terrain, harsh climate, limited infrastructure, and sparse subsurface data coverage, particularly in northern and underexplored regions. To address these challenges, this study develops a satellite-based remote sensing framework that quantifies geothermal heat flux contributions to land surface temperature (LST) derived from thermal infrared imagery. The method exploits the contrasting spatial–temporal characteristics of solar radiation and geothermal heat input to separate temporally invariant geothermal signals from time-dependent solar effects using a physics-based iterative decomposition workflow. The approach is applied across three contrasting geological settings in Canada, including the Mount Meager Volcanic Complex in British Columbia, a fault-controlled geothermal system near Burwash Landing in Yukon, and a carbonate-dominated Arctic environment on Cornwallis Island, Nunavut. Results demonstrate that the extracted geothermal-related LST anomalies form coherent spatial patterns consistent with geological controls across volcanic, structural, and Arctic settings. This remote sensing–driven framework provides an effective and transferable tool for early-stage geothermal target screening, significantly reducing exploration uncertainty in data-scarce and logistically challenging regions of Canada and beyond. |