| Title | Mechanisms for Water Level Declines in Alum Lakes, Wairakei |
|---|---|
| Authors | C. J. Bromley & A. W. Clotworthy |
| Year | 2001 |
| Conference | New Zealand Geothermal Workshop |
| Keywords | |
| Abstract | Recent water-level declines of several steam-heated pools in the Alum Lakes area of Wairakei have been studied. A mechanism that could explain these declines is gradually reducing steam upflow fiom the underlying depressurising steam zone, causing a change in relative permeability to the counter-flowing liquid and steam. This could eventually allow more liquid through the 2-phase vertical conduit that links the shallow groundwater and the deep vapour zone, and a relatively rapid down-flow then occurs. Other nlechanismS involving mudstone drainage and new hctures are also discussed. Equilibrium will be re-established when lateral inflows of groundwater match the new down-flow. |