Investigation of Hydrogeological and Hydrogeochemical Properties of Muradiye-Çaldiran (Van) Geothermal Field, Eastern Turkey

Abstract

The study area that is situated in northeastern of the Lake Van contains hot and cold water in the Muradiye-Çaldıran basin. There are Paleozoic-Mesozoic metamorphic units based on the stratigraphic sequence in the region and that units include reservoir rocks in the geothermal field. There are Quaternary alluviums, Plıyo - Quaternary volcanic rocks such as basalt, basaltıc tuf, tuf-basalt, basalt with gravel and Late Paleozoic metamorphic series in the field from top to base, respectively. Quaternary alluviums and Plıyo - Quaternary volcanic rocks show the cap rock features. Structurally, there are right-lateral faults with NW-SE directional, which constitute in Neo-tectonic period, Middle Miocene in the field. Aim of this study is investigation of hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical properties of a geothermal field, eastern Turkey. In this study, samples were taken from 34 points including springs, wells, and analyzed in Muradiye-Çaldıran geothermal field; eight of them are hot water, one of them is mineralized water and 25 of them are cold water. Geothermal springs are parallel to the faults. Also, physical measurements such as pH, EC and temperature were applied in-situ and as a result of measurements temperature changes between 8.8°C and 34.7°C, pH changes between 6.80 and 8.81 and EC changes between 60 and 3420μS/cm. When geophysical studies examined which are carried out in the center of the field (Çaldıran-Ayrancılar) for the purpose of investigation of geothermal energy resources, is seen a little geothermal activity zone, is not seen very active tectonic and detected a geothermal field with low enthalpy. In geophysical studies which are carried out for the purpose of detecting spread of aquifer and layers in the general of the field, thickness of alluviums are nearly 25 meters and volcanic rocks nearly 120 meters and thickness of metamorphic series is not known.