GEOTHERMAL WATER SOURCES IN THE RIO GRANDE RIFT AREA

RZONCA, Bartlomiej and SCHULZE-MAKUCH, Dirk, Dept Geological Sciences, Univ Texas - El Paso, 500 W University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968-0555, br@uci.agh.edu.pl

Geothermal waters are common in the Desert Southwest of the USA. Seventeen different hot springs in the Rio Grande Rift and Valles Caldera were analyzed for chemical and microbial composition. The chemical composition of the sampled waters indicated that some of the hot springs could be used as sources for drinking water. Microbial DNA sequencing and phospho-lipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis indicated that the water contained microbes typical for deep subsurface environments only, and thus pose no health concern. Therefore, these pristine waters may qualify as a source of high-quality drinking water.

Session No. 10

S3. Water Resource Frontiers I

Friday, 12 April 2002: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 34, No. 3, March 2002, p.32

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South-Central Section - 36th Annual Meeting (April 11-12, 2002)

GEOTHERMAL WATER SOURCES IN THE RIO GRANDE RIFT AREA