IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v10y2017i7p1009-d104874.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Geothermal Resource Exploration by Stream pH Mapping in Mutsu Hiuchi Dake Volcano, Japan

Author

Listed:
  • Yota Suzuki

    (Graduate School of Science and Technology, Hirosaki University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8561, Japan)

  • Seiichiro Ioka

    (North Japan Research Institute for Sustainable Energy, Hirosaki University, 2-1-3 Matsubara, Aomori 030-0813, Japan)

  • Hirofumi Muraoka

    (North Japan Research Institute for Sustainable Energy, Hirosaki University, 2-1-3 Matsubara, Aomori 030-0813, Japan)

Abstract

Although pH measurements of hot spring water are taken in conventional geothermal resource research, previous studies have seldom created pH distribution maps of stream and spring waters for an entire geothermal field as a technique for geothermal exploration. In this study, a pH distribution map was created by measuring stream and spring water pH at 75 sites in the Mutsu Hiuchi Dake geothermal field, Japan. Areas of abnormally high pH were detected in midstream sections of the Ohaka and Koaka rivers; these matched the location of the Mutsu Hiuchi Dake East Slope Fault, which is believed to have formed a geothermal reservoir. The abnormally high pH zone is attributed to the trapping of rising volcanic gases in a mature geothermal reservoir with neutral geothermal water. This causes the gas to dissolve and prevents it from reaching the surface. Thus, the mapping of stream water pH distribution in a geothermal field could provide a new and effective method for estimating the locations of geothermal reservoirs. As the proposed method does not require laboratory analysis, and is more temporally and economically efficient than conventional methods, it might help to promote geothermal development in inaccessible and remote regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Yota Suzuki & Seiichiro Ioka & Hirofumi Muraoka, 2017. "Geothermal Resource Exploration by Stream pH Mapping in Mutsu Hiuchi Dake Volcano, Japan," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-11, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:10:y:2017:i:7:p:1009-:d:104874
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/7/1009/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/7/1009/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yota Suzuki & Seiichiro Ioka & Hirofumi Muraoka, 2016. "Comparative Study of the Subsurface Thermal Structure in Northern Honshu, Japan, Based on Normalized Temperature Data and Solute Geothermometers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-9, May.
    2. Yota Suzuki & Seiichiro Ioka & Hirofumi Muraoka, 2014. "Determining the Maximum Depth of Hydrothermal Circulation Using Geothermal Mapping and Seismicity to Delineate the Depth to Brittle-Plastic Transition in Northern Honshu, Japan," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-9, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yota Suzuki & Hirofumi Muraoka & Hiroshi Asanuma, 2021. "Thermal Monitoring of the Lithosphere by the Interaction of Deep Low-Frequency and Ordinary High-Frequency Earthquakes in Northeastern Japan," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-11, March.
    2. Paul L. Younger, 2015. "Geothermal Energy: Delivering on the Global Potential," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-18, October.
    3. Yota Suzuki & Hirofumi Muraoka & Hiroshi Asanuma, 2020. "Validation and Evaluation of an Estimation Method for Deep Thermal Structures Using an Activity Index in Major Geothermal Fields in Northeastern Japan," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-13, September.
    4. Yota Suzuki & Seiichiro Ioka & Hirofumi Muraoka, 2016. "Comparative Study of the Subsurface Thermal Structure in Northern Honshu, Japan, Based on Normalized Temperature Data and Solute Geothermometers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-9, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:10:y:2017:i:7:p:1009-:d:104874. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.