Estimation of Geothermal Gradient and Heat Flow for Determination of Geothermal Energy Sources in Monguno Area of Northeastern Nigeria

Abstract

The aeromagnetic data of Monguno area northeastern Nigeria have been used to estimate Curie point depth, geothermal gradients and heat flow using spectral analysis. These geothermal parameters were subsequently employed to identify areas of geothermal resources. First order polynomial fitting was applied in Regional-residual separation. The Curie point depth obtained in this area ranges from 10.318 to 24.476 km with an average of 13.387 km, the geothermal gradient of the area varies from 23.697 to 56.212°C /km, with an average of 46.195°C /km, while the heat flow ranges from 59.242 to 136.176 mWm-2, with an average value of about 112.364 mWm-2. It was also observed that the deepest Curie depth in the area is identified in the south, while the shallow depth is located in the northeast and spread toward the southwest. On the other hand, the highest geothermal gradient in the area is identified in the northern part of Moguno, while in the south, the lowest, geothermal gradient is located. The highest heat flow in the area is seen in the south-west and north-east, while the lowest heat flow is observed in the south. The high heat flow and geothermal gradient in the area show that geothermal energy could be found in Monguno region of the northeastern Nigeria.