With the first few days of 2024 under our belt, we’ve taken a moment to reflect on everything that Utah FORGE accomplished during the past year. There’s a lot to be proud of.
Stable Isotopes
Refers to non-radioactive isotopes of elements, including those of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen. In geothermal geochemistry, the stable isotope ratios of oxygen (18O/16O) and hydrogen (2H/1H) in thermal waters are used to trace its origin (e.g., meteoric, magmatic).
Geothermal Glossary
Word of the Week – Drill Core
Drill Core Intact cylindrical shaped sample of rock obtained during drilling with a special coring bit. Although commonly narrow in diameter (e.g., 1-4" or 25-100 mm), it preserves a geological record that makes it possible to interpret the sequence of mineral...
Word of the Week – Drill Cuttings
Drill Cuttings Small chips of rocks (e.g., <1/8 inch or <3 mm) obtained during drilling with a rotary bit that are continuously returned to the surface by the circulation of mud. Drill cuttings are the main source of geological and stratigraphic interpretation...
Word of the Week – Enhanced Geothermal System
Enhanced Geothermal System Unconventional geothermal resources that contain heat similar to conventional hydrothermal resources but lack the necessary groundwater and/or rock characteristics (e.g., permeability) to enable energy extraction without stimulation.