Exploration of geothermal resources using comprehensive electromagnetic method

Abstract

Geothermal resource is a kind of crucial clean, renewable energy with high potential development and application. However, it involves great exploiting risks since it buried deep beneath the crust of the Earth. The location and depth of geothermal resources can be determined using the geophysical methods. Controlled source audio-frequency magnetotellurics (CSAMT) and transient electromagnetic method (TEM) have relatively high efficiency and robustness. In this paper, a simplified geothermal system resistivity model was established, which allowed TEM and CSAMT to differentiate target faults with various characteristics (resistivity, dip angle and width). Through a comprehensive electromagnetic exploration in Huairen County, Shanxi Province, China as an example, the performance of TEM and CSAMT in determining geothermal resources was evaluated. The results showed that both methods could examine the geoelectrical structures from various perspectives, and the effectiveness of comprehensive electromagnetic method for geothermal resources was presented.