USING A GIS TO EXPLORE THE GEOTHERMAL POTENTIAL OF THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN, IDAHO

Idaho's Snake River Plain (SRP) is believed to possess considerable geothermal potential, and may be a target for future Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) development. At the present time, however, this potential is unrealized, in part because there is little agreement regarding which areas of the plain provide the highest value targets for development. We used data acquired from the USGS and the SMU Geothermal Database to develop an integrated heat flow map with ArcGIS. The program's weighted overlay tools were used to focus on areas within the SRP that are likely to contain geothermal resources. Data layers for our overlays included well and borehole temperatures, quaternary faults, and geology. We also included surface water availability as a factor, because of the requirement for water consumption for successful EGS development. We found three areas that may be good targets for EGS exploitation: a site near Arco, Idaho, another near Island Park, Idaho, and a third near Palisades Reservoir near the border of Idaho and Wyoming. Future studies will concentrate on field studies to seek confirmation of the geothermal potential of these areas.