DIGITAL ATLAS OF GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES IN UTAH

The Utah Geological Survey and the Utah Energy Office, in cooperation with the University of Utah, and the U.S. Department of Energy, compiled an interactive, digital publication -- Geothermal Resources of Utah-2001. Published on compact disk (CD), the project was originally conceived to replace the 1980 geothermal resources map of Utah. The CD presents the current state of knowledge for Utah's active geothermal/hydrothermal systems using data derived from nonproprietary sources. The CD contains (1) documents describing geothermal resource areas and regional heat-flow in Utah; (2) a 3,000-record database pertaining to 1,150 thermal wells and springs with fluid temperature greater than 20°C; (3) maps of geothermal resources statewide and locally; (4) geothermal, geologic, geographic, cultural, and infrastructure-related spatial-data files, including Quaternary tectonic and volcanic features; and (5) software to construct maps using the various GIS themes, and to view documents and images.

The higher temperature geothermal areas in Utah occur either in the Basin and Range Province or within the Transition Zone between the Basin and Range and Colorado Plateau. In central, western, and northwestern Utah, most thermal areas are located in valleys near the margins of mountain blocks, and are thought to be related to Basin and Range faults and fractured zones. In northern Utah, many geothermal sources are located immediately west of the Wasatch Mountains in discharge zones associated with the active Wasatch fault. Other hydrothermal systems occur in discharge zones not associated with faults in the central parts of valleys. A few enigmatic geothermal sources are in mountainous regions of northern and central Utah. The most significant sources of geothermal water in eastern Utah are oil wells of the Ashley Valley oil field, that yield large volumes of moderate-temperature thermal water as a byproduct of oil production. Geothermal energy provides electric power from two Utah geothermal sites, while geothermal water is used directly at 13 other commercial ventures for space heating of greenhouses, aquaculture, resorts, spas, and SCUBA diving.