|
NMT Community Archive >
Earth and Environmental Science >
Independent Studies >
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/10136/498
|
| Title: | Groundwater Circulation in the Socorro Geothermal Area |
| Authors: | Wilcox III, Ralph W. |
| Issue Date: | 26-Aug-2009 |
| Abstract: | Thermal springs at Socorro, New Mexico, issue from fractures in a Miocene complex of continental sediments and volcanics where these strata have been upfaulted against Miocene fill of the Rio Grande graben. A pronounced geothermal anomaly exists in the area underlain by the volcanics. In order to establish the relation of these springs to the regional groundwater system, a systematic study of springs and wells was undertaken. Tritium activity and major chemical constituents were measured and mapped. Deuterium and oxygen-18 were determined in 17 selected samples of springs, groundwater, and precipitation. A watertable map was constructed. The correlation of tritium activity in groundwater with that in precipitation, and the regional distribution of tritium activity in groundwater indicate that the spring water contains a minor component of relatively fast recharge (4 years) superposed on a major component of slow recharge (>12 years). The slow component is linked to precipitation on the Magdalena range about 15 to 20 miles to the west. As the groundwater crosses the Miocene complex and its geothermal anomaly, it undergoes cation exchange, sodium for calcium. The deuterium and oxygen-18 makeup of all groundwater in the region, including the thermal springs, indicates a purely meteoric origin. This agrees also with the water quality characteristics and the geological evidence. Hence, no hydraulic connection with a deep geothermal system has been established. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/10136/498 |
| Appears in Collections: | Independent Studies
|
Files in This Item:
| File |
Description |
Size | Format |
|---|
| Wilcox III, Ralph W..pdf | | 3505Kb | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
|
Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.
|
