the thermal waters of jordan

The Thermal Waters of Jordan Ingo Sass & Rafael Schäffer

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Introduction

• Investigation of all known hot springs in four areas in Jordan• Field campaign spring 2010• 51 springs were sampled and analyzed for the most common ions and

some fundamental isotopes• In-situ measurement of discharge and hydrochemical properties

(temperature, pH-value, electric conductivity, redox potential)

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Spring Locations

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Hypothesis: Jordan’s thermal springs can be classified into four thermal provinces, which may be characterized by similar hydrochemical patterns and geological settings.

• .

• .

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• .

Nahr Al-Urdun

Hammamat Ma’in

Zara

Wadi Araba

Geological Map of Hammamat Ma’in

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The hottest springs are situated next to prominent faults.

Spring Water Temperatures

Limit for thermal springs in Jordan: 26 °C

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Correlations

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There is no correlation between water temperature and mineralization or spring altitude.

Total Equivalent Concentration

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Total equivalent concentration is a strong indication for the province affiliation.

Influence of Groundwater Mining

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Compared to 1979, the regression line for the springs at Dead Sea’s east coast shows a notable shift due to lesser influence of vadose water as a result of groundwater mining.

Schoeller and Piper Diagram

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Both diagrams emphasize the

classification into four provinces.

There is a relation between Zara and

Hammamat Ma’in waters.

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Long-term development at Hammamat Ma’in

Year

Spring water temperatures and discharge rates are reported to be constant over decades. Thus temporary climatic variations seem to have no or just weak influence on these thermal springs.

[1] Bender (1968)[2] Salameh & Rimawi (1984)[3] Rimawi & Salameh (1988)[4] Shawabekeh (1998)[5] Eraifej (2006)[6] own measurements

Application of Geothermometers

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Principal Geothermal Model

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• Recent precipitation rates and the size of the catchment areas are by far insufficient to explain the high thermal water discharge today

• Geothermal gradient at Dead Sea’s east coast (~50 °C/km) is not sufficient to explain the observed spring temperatures, too

• CO2 driven gaslift may be a solution and should be investigated

Summary

• For the first time Jordan's thermal springs can be classified into four thermal provinces with similar hydrochemical and geological settings

• Nahr Al-Urdun province springs are recharged mainly by relative shallow limestone aquifers

• Wadi Araba province waters show the lowest mineralization due to their origin of mostly sandstone aquifers

• The springs at Dead Sea's east coast are located on prominent faults• Groundwater mining led to a shift within δ18O-ratio during the last 30 years • Hammamat Ma'in province waters show the highest mineralization and

temperature, Zara province waters are systematically lower• Precipitation rates, catchment areas and the elevated geothermal gradient at

Dead Sea’s east side are not sufficient to explain the observed water properties and the estimated reservoir temperature

• Thus deeper (fossil) water origin is suggested

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Thank You for Your Attention!

ContactIngo Sasssass@geo.tu-darmstadt.de+49 6151 16-2871

TU DarmstadtInstitute of Applied GeosciencesChair of Geothermal Science and Technology Schnittspahnstrasse 9 64287 Darmstadt Germany

More details will be published soonSchäffer, R. & Sass, I. (2012, in review): The Thermal Waters of Jordan. Water Resources Research.

References

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Bender, F. (1968): Geologie von Jordanien – Beiträge zur Regionalen Geologie der Erde. Gebrüder Borntraeger, Berlin/Stuttgart, 230 pages.

Eraifej, N. (2006): Gas Geochemistry and Isotopic Signatures in the deep Thermal waters in Jordan. FOG - Freiberg Online Geology 16, 1-256.

Foulliac, C. & Michard, G. (1979): Géothermie- Un géothermomètre empirique: le rapport Na/Li des eaux. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences Paris 288 (B), 123-126.

Fournier, R. O. & Potter, R. W. (1979): Magnesium correction to the Na-K-Ca chemical geothermometer. Geochemica et CosmogenicaActa 43, S. 1543-1550.

Fournier, R. O. & Truesdell, A. H. (1970), Chemical Indicators of Subsurface Temperature Applied to Hot Spring Waters of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA,Geothermics 237 2, 529-535.

Fournier, R. O. & Truesdell, A. H. (1973): An empirical Na-K-Ca geothermometer for natural waters. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 37,1255-1275.

Rimawi, O. & Salameh, E. (1988): Hydrochemistry and Groundwater Systems of the Zerka Ma’in-Zara Thermal Field, Jordan. Journal of Hydrogeology 98, 147-163.

Salameh, E. & Rimawi, O. (1984): Isotopic Analyses and Hydrochemistry of the Thermal Springs along the Eastern Side of the Jordan Dead Sea-Wadi Araba Rift Valley. Journal of Hydrology 73, 129-145.

Shawabekeh, K. (1998): The Geology of Ma’in Area, Map Sheet No. 3153 III. Natural Resources Authority, Geology Directorate, Geological Mapping Division, Amman.