| Title | THE HEYUAN FAULT, SOUTH CHINA: A DEEP GEOTHERMAL PROSPECT – THE ROLE OF FAULT INTERSECTION RELATIONSHIPS AND FLUID FLOW |
|---|---|
| Authors | L. Tannock and K. Regenauer-Lieb |
| Year | 2017 |
| Conference | New Zealand Geothermal Workshop |
| Keywords | Heyuan fault, geothermal resources, hot springs, structural controls, quartz reef |
| Abstract | This pilot study investigates the Heyuan Fault, Guangdong, as a potential site for a geothermal power plant. The study focuses on two principal hypotheses: (i) that there are preferred locations of hot spots at fault intersections and (ii) that a combination of processes may be acting to contribute to the elevated surface heat flow. Hot springs manifest at the surface along the Heyuan fault, concentrated in clusters occurring at intersections of cross-cutting faults. Chinese literature attributes the elevated heat flux to radioactive decay of a large granite pluton; however, additional heat sources may need to be considered to explain the heat flow maxima above 85 mWm-2. We postulate that advective (topographically driven) and convective (tectonically-released deep fluids ponding at the brittle-ductile transition) processes may be operating to generate these heat anomalies. We propose that expansive quartz reefs systems - exposed along the Heyuan fault – give evidence of these deep fluid circulation patterns that have since been uplifted. A detailed systematic analysis of reef structures will reveal (i) the fluid provenance, (ii) precipitation conditions and (iii) deformation mechanisms, which will ultimately help us understand how fault intersection relations control fluid flow; which is of key significance if it can be utilised for targeting geothermal energy. |