Hydrochemical Characterization, Geothermometry, and Origin of Ain Al-Harrah Hot Spring and Its Relationship to Al-Lith Geothermal System, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The Al-Lith geothermal field in western Saudi Arabia is a characteristic medium-high enthalpy geothermal system, exhibiting features associated with tectonic activities linked to the Red Sea rifting. Ain Al-Harrah hot spring is located in the Al-Lith field, with discharge temperatures varying from 56 to 81 °C. The determination of water temperature and composition in a geothermal reservoir is critical to the design of utilization strategies, surface production facilities, and choice of materials. This research presents a comprehensive hydrochemical characterization of the Ain Al-Harrah hot spring and its relationship with the underlying geothermal system. This study was conducted in two main phases; first, the fieldwork involved the collection of water samples from the hot spring, measuring the temperature, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) of the water. The second phase involved laboratory analyses of the collected samples, including major and trace element analyses, isotopic analysis, and geothermometry. The dominant hydrogeochemical processes in the region were determined by analyzing the hydrochemistry of the water samples. Thermal waters analyzed exhibited high concentrations of Na + (410−463 mg/L), HCO 3 − (64.48−90 mg/L), and Cl − (472.76− 581.95 mg/L), intermediate levels of K + (50.2−93.0 mg/L), and low levels of Mg 2+ (1.27−2.04 mg/L). The total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration ranges between 1830 and 2055 mg/L. The hot spring is categorized as Na-HCO 3 type facies that are moderately alkaline, with pH values ranging between 7.9 and 8.2. Analysis of trace element concentrations revealed that the hydrochemical processes were primarily governed by the abundance and solubility of trace elements in the rocks surrounding the hot spring, the pH, and the temperature of the hot spring water. The stable isotope data for δD (−12.36 to 15.21%) and δ 18 O (−2.84 to −3.38%) provided evidence that the thermal spring is of meteoric origin. Based on Na−K−Ca, K 2 /Mg, and quartz geothermometers, the temperature range of the reservoir was determined to be between 150 and 205 °C. The temperature range suggests a medium-to-high enthalpy geothermal system.