| Keywords |
Basin And Range; seismic refraction, Great Basin, crustal thickness, geothermal potential, Battle Mountain, Walker Lane, Nevada, geophysics, crustal velocity |
| Abstract |
When assessing the geothermal potential of the Great Basin, crustal thickness provides valuable regional-scale information: if the crust is thin, Earth’s mantle is closer to the surface, heat flow can be higher, and the potential for geothermal energy may be greater. In addition, crustal thickness when combined with temperature gradient, gravity, fault location, and strain rate data sets, can allow us to better understand the factors that control the occurrence of geothermal activity. In order to assess the crustal thickness of the Great Basin in poorly constrained areas, we have completed three long-range seismic refraction transects. This paper presents an updated model from the Idaho-California-Nevada (INC) experiment, as well as an updated and preferred crustal thickness map for the Great Basin. From these new results, there are several key features to note: one, the crustal root is centered west of the Sierra’s topographic crest; two, the root deepens north of Fresno, California; three, there is an abrupt step of approximately 18 km at the Sierra-Basin and Range transition; four, normal, 30-km thick Basin and Range crust occurs adjacent to the root on its east side; and five, the thin area of crust near Battle Mountain, Nevada is at least 100 km in area. |