Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Chemistry and geothermometry of brine produced from the Salton Sea Scientific drill hole, Imperial Valley, California

January 1, 1988

The December 29-30, 1985, flow test of the State 2-14 well, also known as the Salton Sea Scientific drill hole, produced fluid from a depth of 1865-1877 m at a reservoir temperature of 305????5??C. Samples were collected at five different flashing pressures. The brines are Na-Ca-K-Cl-type waters with very high metal and low SO4 and HCO3 contents. Compositions of the flashed brines were normalized relative to the 25??C densities of the solutions, and an ionic charge balance was achieved by adjusting the Na concentration. Calculated Na/K geothermometer temperatures, using equations suggested by different investigators, range from 326?? to 364??C. The Mg/K2 method gives a temperature of about 350??C, Mg/Li2 about 282??, and Na/Li 395??-418??C. -from Authors

Publication Year 1988
Title Chemistry and geothermometry of brine produced from the Salton Sea Scientific drill hole, Imperial Valley, California
Authors J. M. Thompson, R.O. Fournier
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Journal of Geophysical Research
Index ID 70013193
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse