Using shallow temperature measurements to evaluate thermal flux anomalies in the southern Mount Meager volcanic area, British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

Geothermal is a clean and renewable energy resource. However, locating where elevated thermal gradient anomalies exist is a significant challenge when trying to assess potential resource volumes during early exploration of a prospective geothermal area. In this study, we deployed 22 temperature probes in the shallow subsurface along the south flank of the Mount Meager volcanic complex, to measure the transient temperature variation from September 2020 to August 2021. In our data analysis, a novel approach was developed to estimate the near-surface thermal distribution, and a workflow and code with python language have been completed for the thermal data pre-processing and analysis. The long-term temperature variation at different depths can be estimated by modelling, so that the relative difference of deducing deeper geothermal gradient anomalies can be assessed. Our proposed inversion and simulation methods were applied to calculating the temperature variation at 2.0 meters depth. The results identified a preferred high thermal flux anomalous zone in the south Mount Meager area. By combining with previous studies, the direct analysis and estimation of anomalous thermal fields based on the collected temperature data can provide a significant reference for interpretation of the regional thermal gradient variation.