Monitoring of Acoustic Emissions Within Geothermal Areas in Iceland: A new Tool for Geothermal Exploration.

With increased emphasis on geothermal development new exploration methods are needed in order to improve general understanding of geothermal reservoirs, characterize their extent and assess the potential for sustainable power production. Monitoring of acoustic emissions within geothermal areas may provide a new tool to evaluate the spatial extent of geothermal fields and model rock-fluid interactions. Three-dimensional seismic data have been used to assess the spatial and temporal distribution of noise within several high-temperature geothermal fields in Iceland. Seismic noise in the 4-6 Hz range within the Svartsengi field can be attributed to steam hydraulics and pressure oscillations within the geothermal reservoirs. Seismic noise surveys compliment electrical resistivity soundings and TEM-surveys by providing information pertinent to the current geothermal activity and extent of steam fields within the uppermost crust of the geothermal reservoir. Information related to acoustic emissions can thus help define targets for future wells.