| Abstract: | Soils, rocks, altered rocks, hot and cold waters, and hot spring precipitates were sampled within and on the outskirts of geothermal fields in China. The contents of thirty trace elements in soils and rocks show that Hg, As, Sb, Bi, Li, Rb, Cs, Au, Ag, B, W, Sn, Pb, Zn, Mn, Ni and Co can serve as direct and indirect indicators for geothermal field exploration. Large amounts of data indicate that Hg, As and Sb are the best indicators of hot water sources. Altered rocks contain higher Hg, As, Sb, Bi and Be than unaltered rocks. Based on their abundances in hot waters, it is suggested that the following elements may be used as hydrochemical indicators of high-temperature hot-water geothermal systems: K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, SO2−4, HCO−3, F−, Cl−, SiO2, HBO2, CO2, pH, total dissolved solids and hydrochemical types, as well as Hg, As, Sb, Be, Li, Rb and Cs. Modern precipitates associated with hot springs have high contents of Ba, Be, Fe, Ti, Hg, As, Sb and Bi. Using these geochemical data, the authors have had much success in locating hot water drill sites within geothermal fields. Case histories are described for five geothermal areas. |
