| Title | Borehole Temperature Studies of the Las Alturas Geothermal Anomaly, New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Authors | Morgan, Paul; Swanberg, Chandler A.; Lohse, Richard L. |
| Year | 1979 |
| Conference | Geothermal Resources Council Transactions |
| Keywords | Thermal Gradient; Geophysics; Wellbore Temperature; Low Temperature; USA; New Mexico; Las Cruces; Las Alturas; Resource Evaluation; Logging; Shallow Gradient; Regional Data; Hydrothermal; Direct Heat; Test Well; Electrical Resistivity; NMSU; New Mexico En |
| Abstract | Three phase of borehole temperature studies have been made relative to the Las Alturas geothermal anomaly in southern New Mexico: i) logging of "free" holes; ii) shallow gradient study; and iii) analysis of data from two 300 m tests. A maximum temperature of 62.5°C (145°C) has been measured at 300 m in one of the tests, and the data indicate that the source of the anomaly is a hydrothermal circulation system. A simple analysis of the temperature data indicated vertical water flow rates or the order of 1x10-9 m/s. The borehole temperature data have provided valuable information for delineating, evaluating and characterizing the nature of the source of the anomaly. |