Superhot Geothermal Resources

Superhot Geothermal Resources
related fields
Besides application to geothermal energy, research on these systems aids understanding the formation of hydrothermal ore deposits of gold, silver, and base metals, as well as of the mechanisms of certain types of volcanic eruptions.
Suggested reading
  • Elders, W. A., Fridleifsson, G. O., & Palsson, B. (2014). Iceland Deep Drilling Project: The first well, IDDP-1, drilled into Magma. Geothermics (Special Issue), 49, 1-128.
  • Jousset, P., Mortensen, A. K., Fridleifsson, G. O., Agustsson, K., & Gudmundsson, M. T. (2019). Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (Special Issue on Reykjanes Peninsula), 29 articles. 
  • Scott S., Driesner T., and Weis P. (2016): The thermal structure and temporal evolution of high-enthalpy geothermal systems. Geothermics 62, 33-47.
Useful tools

An easy-to-learn tool for 2D simulations of magma-driven hydrothermal systems is HYDROTHERM from the United States Geological Survey (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/software/hydrotherm/). Information about a more advanced research code (CSMP++) is available from the author upon request.

References
  • Scott S., Driesner T., and Weis P. (2015): Geologic controls on supercritical geothermal resources above magmatic intrusions. Nature Communications 6, 7837; DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8837
  • Scott S., Driesner T. and Weis J.P. (2017) Boiling and condensation of saline geothermal fluids above magmatic intrusions. Geophysical Research Letters 44, 1696-1705; doi: 10.1002/2016GL071891