The geochemical and geothermal characteristics of hydrothermal systems in an area are useful information to appropriately evaluate the geothermal potential. In this paper, we investigated the chemical and isotopic composition of thermal water in an underexploited geothermal belt, Yidun-Litang area, in eastern Tibetan Plateau. 24 hot spring samples from the Yidun and Litang area were collected and analyzed. The water chemical types of the hot springs are mainly Na-HCO3-type water. Water-rock interaction and cation exchange and mixture are the dominant hydrogeochemical processes in the hydrothermal evolution. The significant shift of D and 18O isotopes from the GMWL indicates that these springs have undergone subsurface boiling before rising to the surface. Different ratios of Cl to other conservation species can be found for the springs in Litang and Yidun areas, suggesting the different heat sources of the two hydrothermal systems. The reservoir temperature in the Yidun area is around 230°C while the reservoir temperature in the Litang area is around 200°C. Both hydrothermal systems are recharged by the meteoric water and are heated by the different deep, thermally and topographically driven convection heat along faults and undergoing subsurface boiling before going back to the surface.
The eastern Tibetan Plateau geothermal belt is one of the important medium-high temperature geothermal belts in China. However, less work has been done on the hydrochemical characteristic and its geological origin. Understanding the chemical characteristics and the hydrochemical evolution processes is important in evaluating the geothermal energy potential in this area. In the present study, we discussed the hydrochemical properties and their origins of 39 hot springs located in the eastern Tibetan Plateau geothermal belt (Kangding-Litang-Batang geothermal belt). Cluster analysis and factor analysis are employed to character the hydrochemical properties of hot springs in different fault zones and the possible hydrochemical evolution processes of these hot springs. Our study shows that the hot springs can be divided into three groups based on their locations. The hot springs in the first group mainly originate from the volcanic rock and the springs in the second group originate from the metamorphic rock while the springs in the third group originate from the result of mixture of shallow water. Water-rock interaction, cation exchange, and the water environment are the three dominant factors that control the hydrochemical evolution process in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. These results are also in well agreement with the isotopic and chemical analysis.
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