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Heat Flow of the Snake River Plain Region, Southern Idaho

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Heat Flow of the Snake River Plain Region, Southern Idaho GEOTHERMAL INVESTIGATIONS IN IDAHO PART8 HEAT FLOW IN THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN REGION, SOUTHERN IDAHO During n1easurernent of heat flow in the Snake Plain, drillers add a section during a con'ng operation at Horseshoe Bend Surnmit near Idaho Srare Highway 55. IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES WATER INFORMATION BULLETIN NO. 30 SEPTEMBER 1976 "GA 1\11\1 En MAR n O2005 WATER INFORMATION BULLETIN NO. 30 GEOTHERMAL INVESTIGATIONS IN IDAHO Part 8 Heat Flow Study of the Snake River Plain Region, Idaho ERRATA SHEET Page 6 Top figure below Boise base line should read 18E, 19E, 20E, instead of BE, 9E, lOE. Top line of bottom left figure should read R. 19 E. instead of R. 9 E. Page 14 The last sentence of the second paragraph should end "12.5°C." rather than "12.50." Page 21 Table 2 well lS 13E 2laa should be at 43°25' north latitude rather than 43055• north latitude. Page 33 Figure 14 caption "(see fig. 21, line B'B)." should read "(see fig. 10, line BB')." Page 34 Figure 15 caption "(see fig. 21, line A' A)." should read "(see fig. 10, 1i ne AA' ) • " Page 47 Figure 24 well SN 37E 21db should be SN 37E 2lbb. Pl ate 3 Well 17aba located in T. 5 N., R. 40 E., should read 17ab. WATER INFORMATION BULLETIN NO. 30 GEOTHERMAL INVESTIGATIONS IN IDAHO Part 8 Heat Flow Study of the Snake River Plain Region, Idaho by Charles A. Brott and David D. Blackwell, Southern Methodist University and John C. Mitchell Idaho Department of Water Resources Prepared jointly by the Southern Methodist University Dallas, Texas and the Idaho Department of Water Resources Boise, Idaho September 1976 This material is the result of tax-supported research and as such is not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many people have contributed to this study in the hope that the information will benefit the people of Idaho. Financial support for the field work carried out during the summers of 1974 and 1975 was granted by the Pacific Northwest Regional Commission and the Idaho Nuclear Energy Commission. Financial support for an academic year fellowship for the senior author was granted by a National Science Foundation grant (No. HES74-19550A01) to Southern Methodist University. Computer time was supported by the NSF grant and by the Pacific Northwest Regional Commission. Collection of heat flow data in central Idaho (1969-1972) was supported by a National Science Foundation grant (No. GA-11351) to Southern Methodist University. Dan Magleby, Gordon Haskett, Gary King and Brent Carter of the Boise office of the Bureau of Reclamation and Glenn Sisco, Richard Whitehead and Bill Young of the Boise office of the U.S. Geological Survey made available observation wells for the measurements of geothermal gradients and were helpful in location of other wells. Many farmers, ranchers and miners made available their wells. Robert Spafford of Southern Methodist University gave invaluable technical support. Will Gosnold of Southern Methodist University did the radioactive measurements. Numerous other people gave of their time and support in order to complete this study. All of these cooperative efforts are gratefully acknowledged and appreciated; without such generous support, this study could not have been accomplished. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgments .......................................... 111 Abstract .................................................. 1 Introduction ............................................... 3 General Discussion ...................................... 3 Purpose and Scope ...................................... 4 Previous Investigations ................................... 4 Well- and Spring-Numbering System ......................... 7 International System of Units .............................. 7 Geology of the Snake River Plain . 7 Techniques of Heat Flow Measurement ................ , ......... 11 Temperature Gradients and Thermal Conductivities ............ 11 Causes of Variations and Disturbances in Geothermal Gradients ..................... , ......... 11 Water Circulation Disturbances . 14 Credibility of Heat Flow Values ........................... 17 Discussion of Heat Flow in Selected Areas ....................... 19 Heat Flow Data ........................................ 19 Regional Synthesis ..................................... 24 Western Snake River Plain . 28 General Consideration . 28 Northern Border of the Western Snake River Plain ............. 32 Central Portion of the Western Snake River Plain .............. 36 Southern Border of the Western Snake River Plain ............. 36 The Blue Gulch Area .................................... 36 The Snake Plain Aquifer ................................. 39 The Island Park Caldera .................................. 42 The Rexburg-St. Anthony Area ............................ 42 Central Idaho ......................................... 44 Other Areas of Heat Flow Greater than 2.5 HFU .............. 48 Summary and Conclusions ................................... 49 Selected References . 51 V ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Index map of Idaho showing the Snake River Plain and its subdivisions ............................................ 2 2. Heat flow map of western United States ...................... 5 3. Diagram showing the well- and spring-numbering system. (Using well 1S-19E-23cac) ........................... 6 4. Graph showing Celsius (OC) and Fahrenheit (Of) temperature relationship .................................. 9 5. Graph showing temperature-depth plot of well 6N-2E-29ba ....... 12 6. Graph showing temperature-depth plot of well 7N-42E-19dc ...... 13 7. Graph showing annual surface temperature effect .............. 15 8. Graph showing vesicular basalt disturbance ................... 16 9. Graph showing temperature-depth plots and the effects of regional and local water circulation disturbances in selected wells .......................................... 18 10. Generalized heat flow map of southern Idaho ................. 26 11. Diagram showing geothermal gradient, heat flow, Bouguer gravity and residual magnetic north-south profiles .............. 27 12. Histograms of thermal conductivities at 250c ................. 29 13. Diagram showing one-dimensional models of the western Snake River Plain ....................................... 31 14. Graph showing temperature-depth curves of six 30 meter holes along heat flow profile B'B ........................... 33 15. Graph showing temperature-depth plots along heat flow profile A'A ............................................ 34 16. Graph showing temperature-depth plots for holes numbered 6N-2E-29ba and 1S-9E-23cac ..................... 35 17. Geologic map of the Blue Gulch area (after Malde, Powers and Marshall, 1963) ............................... 37 18. Selected generalized geologic cross sections of the Blue Gulch area ........................................ 38 vi ILLUSTRATIONS (Continued) Figure Page 19. Graph showing temperature-depth plots of the measured wells in the Blue Gulch area ............................... 40 20. Map showing location of Snake Plain Aquifer and Island Park Caldera ...................................... 41 21. Graph showing temperature-depth plots of the three wells in the Island Park Caldera ................................. 43 22. Generalized geologic cross section of the Rexburg- St. Anthony area ....................................... 45 23. Graph showing temperature-depth plots of wells in the Rexburg-St. Anthony area which penetrate rhyolite ............ 46 24. Graph showing temperature-depth plots of wells which penetrate the basalt on the eastern edge of the Snake Plain Aquifer ........ 47 Plate Page 1. Generalized geologic map of Idaho showing locations of heat flow measurements ............................. in pocket 2. Index map of Idaho showing heat flow and temperature gradient values .................................... in pocket 3. Generalized geologic map of Rexburg-St. Anthony area ..... in pocket vii TABLES Table Page 1. Table of conversion factors ................................ 8 2. Heat flow values in the Snake River Plain Region ............... 20 3. Topographic corrections to heat flow data in table 2 . 24 4. Heat flow values in central Idaho ........................... 25 APPENDICES Appendix Page A. Temperature-depth logs of measured wells in southern Idaho . 55 B. Temperature-depth graphs of measured wells in southern Idaho ... 129 viii ~---~ --"Cd, Boundary o/ the Srioke R,ver Plou1, Qppro~imolely loco te r.1 50 0 50Miles '--~/-r+-,-'-r-+-~~~~~ 50 0 50 Kilometers 117° FIGURE 1. Index map of Idaho showing the Snake River Plain and its subdivisions covered by this report. 2 INTRODUCTION General Discussion Heat is produced in the earth mainly from radioactive decay of potassium, uranium and thorium. The heat generated in this manner causes the temperature in the interior of the earth to be greater than the temperature on the surface. In order to obtain equilibrium, heat flows to the surface and is radiated into space. The flow of the heat to the surface may be by convection or conduction. Convection of heat is transfer of heat by mass movement (water, for example). Conduction of heat is transfer of heat through a solid by lattice vibrations. A heat flow study measures the heat which originates within the earth and flows out of the surface of the earth. The units used for heat flow are quantities of heat (calories) per unit area (cm2) per unit time (second). The world-wide average heat flow is about 1.5 x 10-6 cal/cm2sec. Typical
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