US-Kenya Cooperative Research: Refining Geothermal Exploration via Geochemical Modelling of Young Volcanic Centers in the Kenya Rift

该奖项支持埃尔帕索得克萨斯大学地质科学系的Elizabeth Anthony博士和肯尼亚电力有限公司Olkaria地热项目的Peter Omenda博士之间为期两年的合作研究项目。在肯尼亚，地热资源集中在肯尼亚裂谷轴线上的年轻火山中心。安东尼和欧蒙达已经证实，尽管这些喷发中心有许多共同的特征，如位置和年龄，但每个中心也有自己独特的进化历史。此外，地球物理学家最近在火山下方拍摄了浅层高密度天体的图像，这可能代表了岩浆室或岩浆结晶的残留物。研究人员将从肯尼亚裂谷的四座火山收集火山和地球物理数据，并利用这些数据建立地下岩浆体积和组成的综合模型。然后，这些模型将被用来理解不同进化史的原因，并解释火山活动和浅层高密度天体之间的确切关系。该项目将Anthony博士的岩石学专业知识与Omenda博士的地热和野外经验相结合。通过这个项目，研究人员希望更好地了解火山的历史，以及观测到的火山单元和地下地球物理之间的关系。这些知识还将有助于今后的地热勘探和开发活动，例如评估个别火山的长期热量预算。国际项目部和地球科学部正在共同为这一项目提供支持。

0096863AnthonyThis award supports a two-year collaborative research project between Dr. Elizabeth Anthony, with the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Texas in El Paso, and Dr. Peter Omenda, with the Olkaria Geothermal Project, Kenya Electricity Generating Co. Ltd.In Kenya geothermal resources are focussed on young volcanic centers which sit in the axis of the Kenya Rift. Anthony and Omenda have already established that although these eruptive centers share many common characteristics, such as location and age, each center also has its own distinct evolutionary history. In addition, geophysicists have recently imaged shallow, high-density bodies beneath the volcanoes, which may represent the magma chambers or residues from magma crystallization. The investigators will collect volcanic and geophysical data from four volcanoes in the Kenya Rift, and use it to develop integrated models on the volume and composition of the subsurface magmas. These models will then be used to understand the cause for the different evolutionary histories, and to interpret the exact relationship between the volcanism and the shallow, high-density bodies. This project combines the petrologic expertise of Dr. Anthony with the geothermal and field experience of Dr. Omenda. Through this project the investigators expect to achieve a greater understanding of the history of volcanoes, and of the relationship between observed volcanic units and subsurface geophysics. This knowledge will also aid in future geothermal exploration and exploitation activities, such as the assessment of long-term heat budgets for individual volcanoes. The Division of International Programs and the Division of Earth Sciences are jointly providing support for this project.