New Mexico Geological Society Annual Spring Meeting — Abstracts

The Socorro area has been tectonically, volcanically and geothermally active since early Oligocene times; the area continues to be geothermally active today. This study is based on geothermal resource exploration data and samples that have been released by industry sources (e.g. temperature logs, lithologic logs, drill cuttings). Heat flows determined from this data indicate that the near surface geothermal regime in the Socorro area is profoundly influenced by subsurface hydrology, and possibly by subsurface magmatic heat sources as well.

Very low heat flows are present west of the Socorro mountain block in La Jencia Basin. These values are far lower than typical values for a geothermally active area, even lower than values measured in geologically stable areas. The low heat flows in La Jencia Basin suggest downward groundwater flow at depth.

Heat flows in the Socorro Mountain Block are often very high and data from deep wells in the mountain block show great variation of heat flow with depth. Curvature in the temperature depth profiles of deep wells suggests upward ground-water leakage in an aquitard above a Tertiary
volcanic aquifer. Very high heat flows and warm water at shallow depth are found where the Tertiary volcanic rocks have been upfaulted close to the surface. The Tertiary volcanics may be a reservoir for warm water such as is found at Socorro Springs and the Blue Canyon well. The hydrologic conditions of this aquifer and its geometry probably have a great influence on the geothermal regime of the Socorro mountain block.
Cooling crustal magma may contribute to the reservoir's heat.