Heat flow studies in the Steamboat Mountain-Lemei Rock area, Skamania County, Washington. Information circular 62

摘要

In order to investigate the possible occurrence of geothermal energy in areas of Quaternary basaltic volcanism, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources drilled several 152 m deep heat-flow holes in the Steamboat Mountain-Lemei Rock area of Skamania County, Washington. The study area is located in the southern part of Washington's Cascade Mountains between 45/sup 0/54' and 46/sup 0/07' N. and 121/sup 0/40' and 121/sup 0/53'W. This area was selected for study because geologic mapping had identified a north-trending chain of late Quaternary basaltic volcanoes that had extruded a sequence of lava flows up to 600 m thick and because the chain of volcanoes is areally coincident with a well-defined gravity low with a minimum value of about -110 mgals. Gradients of 52.7 and 53.4/sup 0/C/km and heat flows of 1.8 and 1.6 ..mu..cal/cm/sup 2/sec, respectively, were measured in two drill holes near the east flank of the chain of volcanoes. Gradients of 44.5 and 58/sup 0/C/km and heat flows of 1.3 and 1.6 ..mu..cal/cm/sup 2/ sec, respectively, were measured in two holes near the axis of the chain, and one gradient of 49.8/sup 0/C/km and heat flow of 1.5 ..mu..cal/cm/sup 2/ sec were measured in a drill hole near the west flank of the chain. All gradients and heat flows are terrain corrected. These heat-flow values are typical regional heat-flow values for the Cascade Mountains. The data show that there is no large-sized heat source body within the general area of the heat-flow study. However, there is only one location in Washington, also in the Cascade Mountains, where higher gradients have been measured.