Seismic Velocity/Temperature Correlations and a Possible New Geothermometer: Insights from Exploration of a High-Temperature Geothermal System on Montserrat, West Indies

In 2013, two production wells were drilled into a geothermal reservoir on Montserrat, W.I. (West Indies) Drilling results confirmed the main features of a previously developed conceptual model. The results confirm that below ~220 °C there is a negative correlation between reservoir temperature and seismic velocity anomaly. However, above ~220 °C there is a positive correlation. We hypothesise that anomalous variations in seismic velocity within the reservoir are controlled to first order by the hydrothermal mineral assemblage. This study suggests a new geophysical thermometer which can be used to estimate temperatures in three dimensions with unprecedented resolution and to indicate the subsurface fluid pathways which are the target of geothermal exploitation.

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