37 The Heat Beneath our Feet: Geologic Controls on Geothermal Resources in the Rocky Mountain Region

Geologic controls in the Rocky Mountains and other analogous environments that influence geothermal systems—from fault and fracture dynamics to stratigraphic and lithologic influences, heat flow, and fluid flow pathways

Wednesday, 20 May 2026
10:20 AM - 12:20 PM
Alvarado A

Revisiting the Socorro Geothermal System

Paper number: 37-2
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 11:00 AM – 11:20 AM

Authors

Abstract

Legacy temperature-depth, aeromagnetic, and seismic data and more recent aqueous- geochemistry, earthquake-cluster and field-mapping investigations are incorporated into an updated analysis of the Socorro geothermal system. This geothermal system lies above the Socorro Magma Body. A magnetic low, which may indicate alteration, fault step-overs, and swarms of earthquakes are co-located in an area southwest of Socorro Peak. This area lies near the Socorro accommodation zone, a structural feature that separates mountain blocks that dip west from blocks that dip to the east. Five shallow gradient holes drilled by industry in the early 1980s in this area that are up 150 m deep have concave-up thermal profiles, indicating recharge from Sixmile Canyon in the Magdalena Mountains, with geothermal gradients near the bottom of the wells ranging from 21 to 43 °C/km.  These five wells penetrated rift-fill sedimentary rock (Popatosa Formation). Two deep industry wells were drilled in this same area. One well is 415 m deep and is in rift- fill sediment; the thermal profile is linear and the geothermal gradient is 45°C/km. The second well is 585 m deep and penetrated Popatosa Formation, a volcaniclastic mudflow, and a Miocene rhyodacite flow. The temperature-depth profile in this well is convex-up, indicative of upflow of fluids from the fractured volcanic rock. A second area of interest is located on the south side of Socorro Peak. Two deep wells (610 m) on the south flank of the peak have complex thermal profiles that are generally convex-up, suggestive of upflow; the maximum temperature in these wells is 38.8°C at 573 m. One well passes through Popatosa Formation and the second well encountered Popatosa Formation, basaltic andesite, and welded tuff. The existing temperature-depth data provides information about the subsurface to a maximum depth of 610 m. The nature of the subsurface below that depth is uncertain. The next step in this study is to collect magnetotelluric data in these two areas to learn more about the deep subsurface.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 4

doi: 10.1130/abs/2026RM-410696

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