CHEMICAL AND ISOTOPIC PREDICTION OF AQUIFER TEMPERATURES IN THE GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM AT LONG VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

Temperatures of aquifers feeding thermal springs and wells in Long Valley, California, estimated using silica and Na-K-Ca geothermometers and warm spring mixing models, range from 160/dg to about 220°C. This information was used to construct a diagram showing enthalpy-chloride relations for the various thermal waters in the Long Valley region. The enthalpy-chloride information suggests that a 282 ± 10°C aquifer with water containing about 375 mg chloride per kilogram of water is present somewhere deep in the system. That deep water would be related to ∼ 220°C Casa Diablo water by mixing with cold water, and to Hot Creek water by first boiling with steam loss and then mixing with cold water. Oxygen and deuterium isotopic data are consistent with that interpretation. An aquifer at 282°C with 375 mg/kg chloride implies a convective heat flow in Long Valley of 6.6 × 107 cal/s. © 1979.