Join us for our second Geothermal Rising Colorado RIG geothermal field trip through Colorado's Front Range, as we unravel the geological features that set up potential geothermal resources deep in the Denver Basin. This field trip delves into the heart of the earth's thermal energy, focusing on the Lyons Formation and Pre-Cambrian basement outcrops along the Front Range for their geothermal energy potential. Additionally, we will spend some time at the start of the trip learning about ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) by touring the newly constructed East Classroom building at Colorado School of Mines and the GSHP system that was engineered to heat and cool this building.
Our first field stop in Morrison, Colorado will investigate the Lyons Formation to provide insights into its depositional history, lithology, mineralogy, and thermal conductivity, which are crucial factors for assessing its suitability for geothermal energy as a hot sedimentary aquifer (HSA). Additionally, we will discuss a core-based study in hydrothermal alterations within the Lyons Formation beneath Wattenberg Field, offering valuable clues to the geothermal reservoirs that lie deep in the basin. Venturing into the realm of the Pre-Cambrian basement, participants will visit outcrops in Genesee, Colorado at the second field stop to understand the complex nature of the igneous and metamorphic rocks that have been structurally deformed, uplifted, and exposed here, representing potential enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) targets beneath the Denver Basin. These outcrops and formations are exceptionally important because they are also associated with ongoing geothermal exploration projects deep within the Denver Basin.
