GEOTHERMAL PROSPECTION OF THE CIÉNEGA OF CHAPALA, MICHOACAN, MÉXICO

The Michoacan area of the Cienega de Chapala is located east of the rift Citala giving rise to the graben and Chapala Lake, the graben is bounded by a pair of faults that allow the geothermal activity in the region: Pajacuarán and Ixtlan faults. Regional Geothermal consists of a surface hydrothermalism of springs and wells of hot water with temperatures between 48 and 94 C in Ixtlan de los Hervores as well as mud volcanoes in the Los Negritos. The waters of these hydrothermal manifestations are mainly sodium-chlorinated type with a boron content indicating the presence of geothermal fluids. Gases of the hydrothermal manifestations show a characteristic composition of geothermal origin. The geothermometers of liquid and gases turned out in values of medium temperatures for a geothermal reservoir (125 to 225 C) in the area. Moreover, the isotopy of the waters show an enrichment in oxygen 18 (¹⁸O) typical of geothermal environments. All these features indicate the presence of a geothermal reservoir of wide fracture type (fault width greater than 100 m) of low relief with a maximum water deep level of 3 m. For the above described, the Cienega de Chapala, Michoacan is an area where work of geothermal exploration can continue by conventional techniques as well as research and development with emerging technologies like the enhanced geothermal reservoirs of hot dry rock or even technical totally innovative.