AN ASSESSMENT OF THE GEOTHERMAL ... - Orkustofnun

Akbar 20 Report 5
TABLE 9: Some selected Silica geothermometers
Geothermometer
Equation
Range
(°C)
(°C)
Source
Quartz
1309
− 273.15
5.19 −
25-250 Fournier (1977)
Quartz (adiabatic)
1522
− 273.15
5.75 −
25-250 Fournier (1977)
Chalcedony
1112
− 273.15
4.91 −
120-180 Arnórsson et al. (1983)
Amorphous silica
731
− 273.15
4.52 −
25-250 Fournier (1977)
Opal
781
− 273.15
4.51 −
25-250 Fournier (1991)
S represents silica concentration as SiO 2 in mg/kg
Na-K geothermometer
The response of the sodium/potassium (Na/K) ratio, decreasing with increasing fluid temperature, is
based on a temperature dependant cation exchange reaction between albite and K feldspar.
NaAlSi 3 O 8 + K + = KAlSi 3 O 8 + Na +
Albite
K feldspar
Waters from high temperature reservoirs (180°C) of chloride waters are suitable for this
geothermometer. For lower temperature reservoirs where fluids have long residence times, the Na-K
geothermometer may, in some cases, be applicable. The advantage of this geothermometer is that it is
less affected by dilution or steam loss given that it is based on a ratio. The geothermometer is
applicable to 350°C, as the re-equilibration is slower than that of the silica-quartz geothermometer.
Therefore, the Na-K geothermometer may give indications regarding the deeper part of the system in
comparison to the silica-quartz geothermometer, depending on the system’s hydrology. Table 10
summarizes some of the commonly used Na-K geothermometers.
TABLE 10: Some selected Na-K geothermometers
Geothermometer
Na-K
Equation
Source
(t°C)
1217
1.438 − log(
) − 273.15 Fournier (1979)
1390
1.75 − (
) − 273.15 Giggenbach (1988)
933
0.993 − (
) − 273.15 Arnórsson et al., (1983)
Some limitations - the Na-K geothermometer works well under the following conditions:
• For waters indicating reservoir temperatures >100°C
• For waters containing low Ca; i.e. if the value of (log (Ca 1/2 /Na) + 2.06) is negative
• For near neutral pH chloride waters.