Geothermal Exploration Using Remote Sensing, Surface Temperature, and Geophysical Data in Lunayyir Volcanic Field, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Energy consumption worldwide has undergone a recent shift, with hydrocarbons, coal, and new energy sources taking center stage. However, fossil fuels face criticism due to their negative impacts on the environment through air pollution. Geothermal energy is a clean, renewable, and eco-friendly alternative that can be harnessed for power generation. The Lunayyir volcanic field is located in the western part of Saudi Arabia and has been identified as a potential geothermal resource. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of the gravity, magnetic, and land surface temperature data collected over the study area is conducted to investigate the geothermal potential. The gravity data are processed using standard techniques to correct for instrument drift, diurnal variations, and topographic effects and to filter out high-frequency noise. The magnetic data are processed using standard procedures. Analysis of the gravity data shows that the Lunayyir volcanic field is characterized by a series of gravity anomalies, which can be interpreted as indicative of the presence of subsurface geologic structures that are similar in geothermal areas, such as faults, fractures, and intrusions. The magnetic data, on the other hand, show that the volcanic field has a relatively low magnetic susceptibility, which is consistent with the presence of volcanic rocks implying shallow heat sources. Landsat satellite data are utilized to calculate the land surface temperature through the use of GIS software. Additionally, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is calculated using the near-infrared and red bands of the Landsat satellite. The land surface temperature of the year 2007 shows the relatively high temperature at the surface as compared to 2000 and 2021, which is an indication of volcanic activities in the subsurface. It is suggested that these structures may provide conduits for hot fluids, which could potentially be exploited for geothermal energy production. The obtained results emphasize the importance of combining different geophysical datasets to obtain a better understanding of underground geology and geothermal systems. In general, this study improves the assessment of the Lunayyir volcanic field in the western part of Saudi Arabia for geothermal energy.

Machine Learning Techniques in Predicting Bottom Hole Temperature and Remote Sensing for Assessment of Geothermal Potential in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

“…Generally, the identification of hydrothermal signatures related to geothermal prospects zones identification must be interpreted with care. However, for the effective and sustainable management of geothermal exploration programs, it is important to integrate spatial data as a means of identifying the most suitable location and its extent [8,72,73]. Satellite RS of thermal infrared radiation has proven effective in monitoring high-temperature volcanic features.…”

“…Satellites were equipped with sensors operating in the visible, infrared, and thermal wavelength regions that could capture reflected and emitted radiation from the surface [74]. The LST has undergone a qualitative classification using the classification method described by [8,12] and presented in Table 3.…”

“…A literature survey reported that numerous studies have been performed to investigate HR geothermal potential using various techniques, which have included: geochemical analysis, major-elements and trace-elements analysis, geothermal gradient analysis, geothermal fluid characterization, gravity and magnetic analysis, structural trend analysis, and geothermal well drilling [6][7][8][9][10]. However, previous studies have not fully mapped One reason for the low percentage of geothermal resource usage is the limited availability of high-enthalpy geothermal resources and the high costs and risks associated with developing geothermal fields.…”

Petrogenesis of high heat producing granites and their contribution to geothermal resource in the Huangshadong geothermal field, South China

“…The geothermal energy utilized directly was up to 107,727 MWt in 2020, increasing by 52% since 2015 (Lu, 2018;Lund and Toth, 2021). The petrological characteristics of geothermal reservoir rocks serve as key parameters used to evaluate the geothermal potential and analyze the genesis of geothermal resources, especially for a granite-hosted geothermal system (Zhang et al, 2022;Alqahtani et al, 2023a;Alqahtani et al, 2023b;Ullah et al, 2023;Wang et al, 2023).…”

Application of enhanced methods of gravity data analysis for mapping the subsurface structure of the bahira basin in Morocco

“…Ikirri et al (2023) used gravity measurements to characterize Morocco's Western Anti-Atlas Ifni Inlier. Alqahtani et al (2023b) employed remote sensing, surface temperature and geophysical data for geothermal exploration in Lunayyir Volcanic Field (Saudi Arabia). The analysis of gravity and magnetic data show subsurface geologic structures that may be interpreted as potentially geothermal system.…”