Theses and Dissertations Collection

The Preston geothermal prospect is centered on Clifton Hill, located in the Cache Valley, a north-south trending structural graben of the northeastern portion of the Basin and Range Province, just south of the border with the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP). The area was studied previously during the 1970s and 80s, (involved geophysical, geochemical, and hydrological studies) which culminated with the drilling of geothermal exploration wells by Sunedco Energy Development in 1979 and 1980. However, commercial interests were abandoned. Today, the local geothermal system in the area remains poorly defined but current interpretations suggest movement of thermal fluids along localized Basin and Range structures. I conducted high resolution potential field (gravity and magnetic) studies, collecting data along several profiles across Clifton Hill, to map these structures. These data were combined with a survey of the local aquifer and analyzed to better understand the geothermal system.