2009 Portland GSA Annual Meeting (18-21 October 2009)

Paper No. 5
Presentation Time: 9:25 AM

HYDROTHERMAL HEAT DISCHARGE IN THE CASCADE RANGE, NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES


INGEBRITSEN, Steven E. and MARINER, Robert H., US Geol Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, seingebr@usgs.gov

Hydrothermal heat discharge in the Cascade Range includes the heat discharged by thermal springs, by “slightly thermal” springs that are only a few degrees warmer than ambient temperature, and by fumaroles. Thermal-spring heat discharge is calculated on the basis of chloride-flux measurements and geothermometer temperatures and totals ~230 MW in the U.S. part of the Cascade Range, excluding the transient post-1980 discharge at Mount St. Helens (currently ~80 MW). Heat discharge from “slightly thermal” springs is based on the degree of geothermal warming (after correction for gravitational potential energy effects) and totals ~650 MW. Fumarolic heat discharge is calculated by a variety of indirect and direct methods and totals ~150 MW, excluding the transient mid-1970s discharge at Mount Baker (~80 MW) and transient post-1980 discharge at Mount St. Helens (currently >230 MW). Other than the pronounced transients at Mount St. Helens and Mount Baker, hydrothermal heat discharge in the Cascade Range appears to be fairly steady over a ~30-year period of measurement. Of the total of ~1,000 MW of “steady” hydrothermal heat discharge identified in the U.S. part of the Cascade Range, less than 50 MW occurs north of latitude 45o15’ N (~0.1 MW per km arc length from 45o15’ -49oN). Much greater rates of hydrothermal heat discharge south of 45o15’N (~1.7 MW per km arc length from 40-45o15’N) may reflect the influence of Basin and Range-style extensional tectonics (faulting) that impinges on the Cascades as far north as Mount Jefferson but is not evident farther north.