Characteristics of geothermal field and evaluation of geothermal resource potential in the Yingjiang Basin

Geothermal resource,a green and sustainable energy resource,plays an important role in achieving‘emission peak’and‘carbon neutrality’targets.The Yingjiang Basin is located in the eastern branch of the Mediterranean-Himalayan high-temperature geothermal belt and exhibits considerable potential for geothermal resources.However,current investigations into the distribution of deep geothermal resources in this region are somewhat limited.In this paper,the transient plane source(TPS)method is used to measure the thermal conductivity parameters of 31 rock samples within the study area.Additionally,the one-dimensional steady-state heat conduction equation is employed to calculate the deep geothermal field,considering the constraints of rock thermal properties and terrestrial heat flow in the study area.Furthermore,the“stripping method”is used to determine the contribution rate of sedimentary layer to terrestrial heat flow,while the volume method is applied to estimate the geothermal resources at burial depths of 3000-5000 m.The results show that(1)The heat generation rate of granite is the highest with an average value of 4.52 mW/m^(3),followed by gneiss with an average value in the range of 2.0-3.5 W/(m·K),mudstone and sandstone being the lowest with an average value between 1.0 and 2.0 W/(m·K).(2)The main contributor of terrestrial heat flow in the study area is mantle heat flow,and the contribution of sedimentary layers to terrestrial heat flow only accounts for about 2%.(3)The geothermal resources in Yingjiang Basin within the depth range of 3000-5000 m is 93.6×10^(15)kJ,or 3.2×10^(9)tonnes standard coal equivalent(SCE).

Granite thermal reservoirs in Lingshui area of Hainan Island and their significance to geothermal resources,China

Hainan Island located at the southernmost tip of the continental crust of the South China Plate,has high terrestrial heat-flow values,widely-distributed hot springs,and rich geothermal resources.Intensified researches on the origin and potentials of geothermal resources can promote Hainan Island's development into a clean energy island.To determine the geological conditions for the formation of geothermal resources in southern Hainan Island,we collected core samples of granites from the Baocheng batholith in southern Hainan Island and conducted systematic analysis in respect of petrology,geochronology,geochemistry,and petrophysical property.The results of this study are as follows.The Baocheng batholith in the southern Hainan Island has a crystallization age of 98.42±0.56 Ma,making it the product of magmatism in the early stage of the Late Cretaceous.It mainly consists of high-K calc-alkaline granites,which were intruded by intermediate-to-mafic veins.The Baocheng batholith has a high radioactive heat generation rate of 2.712-6.843μW/m^(3),with an average of 3.846μW/m^(3),a radioactive heat-flow value of 30.768 μW/m^(2)and a heat-flow contribution rate of 38.95%-43.95%.As shown by the results of their thermophysical property analysis,the granites have high thermal conductivity and can serve as highquality geothermal reservoirs.In combination with previous geological and geophysical data,the geothermal model of the Lingshui area was established in this study.The deep structure indicates the presence of high-conductivity and low-resistivity layers in the basement of the Baocheng batholith.It can be inferred thereby that asthenospheric upwelling may occur and that there exist two magma vents at depth in the batholith.Therefore,magmatic heat at depth and granites with high radioactive heat generation rate serve as the main heat sources in the Lingshui area.

Numerical analysis of thermal impact on hydro-mechanical properties of clay

As is known, high-level radioactive waste （HLW） is commonly heat-emitting. Heat output from HLWwilldissipate through the surrounding rocks and induce complex thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical（THMC） processes. In highly consolidated clayey rocks, thermal effects are particularly significantbecause of their very low permeability and water-saturated state. Thermal impact on the integrity of thegeological barriers is of most importance with regard to the long-term safety of repositories. This studyfocuses on numerical analysis of thermal effects on hydro-mechanical properties of clayey rock using acoupled thermo-mechanical multiphase flow （TH2M） model which is implemented in the finite elementprogramme OpenGeoSys （OGS）. The material properties of the numerical model are characterised by atransversal isotropic elastic model based on Hooke＇s law, a non-isothermal multiphase flow model basedon van Genuchten function and Darcy＇s law, and a transversal isotropic heat transport model based onFourier＇s law. In the numerical approaches, special attention has been paid to the thermal expansion ofthree different phases： gas, fluid and solid, which could induce changes in pore pressure and porosity.Furthermore, the strong swelling and shrinkage behaviours of clayey material are also considered in thepresent model. The model has been applied to simulate a laboratory heating experiment on claystone.The numerical model gives a satisfactory representation of the observed material behaviour in thelaboratory experiment. The comparison of the calculated results with the laboratory findings verifies thatthe simulation with the present numerical model could provide a deeper understanding of the observedeffects. 2014 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting byElsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Petrogenesis, Tectonic Evolution and Geothermal Implications of Mesozoic Granites in the Huangshadong Geothermal Field, South China

Mesozoic multi-stage tectono-magmatic events produced widely distributed granitoids in the South China Block. Huangshadong(HSD) is located in south-eastern South China Block, where closely spaced hot springs accompany outcrops of Mesozoic granites. New data on whole-rock geochemistry, zircon U-Pb geochronology, and zircon Lu-Hf isotopes are presented, to study the petrogenesis and tectonic evolution of the granites, and to explore the relationship between granites and geothermal anomalies. Zircon U-Pb isotopes display three periods of granites in the HSD area: Indosinian(ca. 253 Ma, G4) muscovite-bearing monzonitic granite, early Yanshanian(ca. 175–155 Ma, G5 and G3) monzonitic granite and granodiorite, and late Yanshanian(ca. 140 Ma, G1 and G2) biotite monzonitic granite. In petrogenetic type, granites of the three periods are I-type granite. Among them, G1, G2, G3, and G4 are characterized by high fractionation, with high values of SiO2, alkalis, Ga/Al, and Rb/Sr, and depletion in Sr, Ba, Zr, Nb, Ti, REEs, with low(La/Yb)N, Nb/Ta, and Zr/Hf ratios and negative Eu anomalies. In terms of tectonic setting, 253 Ma G4 may be the product of partial melting of the ancient lower crust under post-orogenic extensional tectonics, as the closure of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean resulted in an intracontinental orogeny. At 175 Ma, the subduction of the Pacific Plate became the dominant tectonic system, and low-angle subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate facilitated partial melting of the subducted oceanic crust and basement to generate the hornblende-bearing I-type granodiorite. As the dip angle of the subducting plate increased, the continental arc tectonic setting was transformed to back-arc extension, inducing intense partial melting of the lower crust at ca. 158 Ma and resulting in the most frequent granitic magmatic activity in the South China hinterland. When slab foundering occurred at ca. 140 Ma, underplating of mantle-derived magmas caused melting of the continental crust, generating extensive highly fractionated granites in HSD. Combining the granitic evolution of HSD and adjacent areas and radioactive heat production rates, it is suggested that highly fractionated granites are connected to the enrichments in U and Th with magma evolution. The high radioactive heat derived from the Yanshanian granites is an important part of the crustal heat, which contributes significantly to the terrestrial heat flow. Drilling ZK8 reveals deep, ca. 140 Ma granite, which implies the heat source of the geothermal anomalies is mainly the concealed Yanshanian granites, combining the granite distribution on the surface.

Crustal Thermo-Structure and Geothermal Implication of the Huangshadong Geothermal Field in Guangdong Province

Dense distribution of granites and surrounding hot springs, the high anomalous heating rates of geothermal fluids and the high geothermal gradients in shallow crust in Southeast China are revealed by previous geothermal explorations. However, there have always been debates on the genesis of geothermal anomalies of Southeast China. It is imperative to look into the genesis mechanism of geothermal anomalies through selecting a typical geothermal field, and constructing fine crustal thermostructure. In this study, in-depth excavation is implemented for the previous data of geophysical exploration and deep drilling exploration in the Huangshadong area. We synthetically analyze the results of radioactive heat productions(RHPs), thermophysical properties of rocks and audio-frequency magnetotellurics(AMT) sounding. This study concludes that the coefficient of radioactive heat generation(RHG) of crustal rocks and conduction heat of concealed granites is the main formation mechanism of geothermal anomalies of South China, where occurs a Great Granite Province. There is a regional indicating implication for the genesis of geothermal anomalies, taking the Huangshadong geothermal field as a typical example. It is also an important reference to guide the exploration, evaluation, development and utilization of geothermal resources in this region.