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- Title
Characterization of Southern Peru Hydrothermal Systems: New Perspectives for Geothermal Exploration Along the Andean Forearc.
- Authors
Taillefer, Audrey; Truche, Laurent; Audin, Laurence; Donzé, Frédéric‐Victor; Tisserand, Delphine; Denti, Simona; Manrique Llerena, Nelida; Masías Alvarez, Pablo Jorge; Braucher, Régis; Zerathe, Swann; Monnin, Christophe; Dutoit, Hugo; Taipe Maquerhua, Edu; Apaza Choquehuayta, Fredy Erlingtton
- Abstract
This study provides a comprehensive characterization of various hydrothermal systems in Southern Peru ranging from the faulted Precordillera's steep topography up to the volcanic High Cordillera (>4,000 m asl). The objective is to investigate thermal anomalies that may potentially serve as new geothermal resources. Our integrated approach combines: (a) geochemistry from 14 hot springs sampled throughout the Tacna region, and (b) 3D numerical modeling of coupled groundwater and heat transfer considering topography and faults embedded in homogeneous permeability. Water and gas analysis indicates that the springs located near volcanoes discharge Na‐K‐Cl waters with high temperatures (>87°C), high Total Dissolved Solid concentrations (TDS >3,452 mg/L), and free gases dominated by CO2 (>90 vol%). Springs located along the regional faults in the Precordillera discharge Ca‐SO4 and Na‐K‐Cl waters with moderate temperatures (27–53°C), intermediate TDS concentrations (464–2,458 mg/L), radiocarbon ages between 1.4 and 7.9 kyr, and free gases dominated by N2 (>95 vol%). The Aruma springs, which are located at the transition between the High and the Precordillera, display intermediate characteristics. Numerical models accurately replicate the locations and temperatures of the fault‐related springs only for permeable faults (>10−14 m2), revealing the creation of 100‐km long thermal plumes along faults, locally rising up the 150°C‐isotherm to about ∼1,000 m below the surface. This approach clearly distinguishes the spring origins, which are volcanic in High Cordillera and tectonic in Precordillera. Moreover, we highlight that steep topographic gradient and permeable reverse faults in the Andean forearc may generate considerable thermal anomalies, opening perspectives for the geothermal exploration. Plain Language Summary: Geothermal energy is an essential part of the transition to green energies. It consists of using the Earth' natural heat to generate electricity or provide direct heating. In the Peruvian Andes there is significant geothermal potential near volcanoes that constitute an efficient heat source. However, these are distant from many of the population hubs, mostly located along the Pacific Coast. In the Tacna region, Southern Peru, we observe hot springs aligned along faults near the city. We hypothesize that these faults act as pipes for the hot fluids making them suitable for geothermal energy extraction. The geochemical compositions of various hot springs in the region are compared with 3D numerical models simulating hydrothermal flows. We found that springs along volcanoes and those along faults have different geochemical signatures, evidencing different subsurface pathways. Numerical models accurately replicate the positions and temperatures of the observed and sampled hot springs and reveal significant thermal anomalies around compressional faults. Our findings open up promising perspectives for the geothermal exploration in the Andean forearc. Key Points: The geochemical properties of Southern Peru's hot springs are influenced by their spatial correlation with volcanic or tectonic featuresBy combining permeable faults and topography, 3D hydrothermal modeling replicates the temperatures and locations of observed springsDetection of regional topography‐driven thermal plumes along faults in the Andean forearc opens perspectives for geothermal exploration
- Subjects
PERU; ANDES; GEOTHERMAL resources; HOT springs; RENEWABLE energy transition (Government policy); GEOCHEMISTRY; WATER temperature; TOPOGRAPHY; NONAQUEOUS phase liquids; SULFIDE ores
- Publication
Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems: G3, 2024, Vol 25, Issue 5, p1
- ISSN
1525-2027
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1029/2023GC011344