New evidence relating to the structure of the zone of hydrothermal discharges in the East Pauzhetka thermal field, Kamchatka

摘要

This paper is concerned with a discussion of a fundamental problem in geothermal research, that of reaching an understanding of the structure and physical nature of zones of thermal discharges, taking the Pauzhetka hydrothermal system as an example along with the eponymous geothermal field situated at the southern tip of Kamchatka. We combined geological and geophysical results from magnetic surveying, electrical surveying, gravity surveying, soil thermometry, pitting and well drilling in hydrothermal clay, to carry out a detailed study of a large zone of hydrothermal discharges in the structure of this hydrothermal system, that is, the East Pauzhetka thermal field. We identified a system of blocks that control aquifers, mineralization zones at the base of the sequence of hydrothermal clay, steam-charged and water-saturated volumes, and volumes where ascending hydrothermal brines circulate via fissures and pores. We hypothesize the existence of a shallow (a few tens of meters) top of a subintrusive body of an intermediate or basic composition. The intrusion of that body may have given rise to the formation of a tectono-magmatic uplift in the East Pauzhetka thermal field. The resulting geological and geophysical data stimulate multidisciplinary surveys of other areas in the Pauzhetka geothermal field and make their contribution to the solution of a major scientific and applied problem, which is to determine the source of heat for the field.