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Geothermal potential of Harrat Rahat, Northern Arabian Shield: geological constraints

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Abstract

Arabian Shield offers a strong potential for geothermal energy. However, only a limited amount of exploration effort has taken place. Harrat Rahat is a recent volcanic area located along the Makkah-Madinah-Nafud volcanic line in western Saudi Arabia. This study is oriented to identify the geothermal potential of Harrat Rahat. The geologic data was collected and processed. In the current study, we focus on evaluating the potential sources of subsurface heat and groundwater. Subsurface heat is based on the age of erupted volcanoes and the expected volume of subsurface magma chambers. An analogy with an existing geothermal field in a similar setting as Mexico suggests that the faults and the coincident seismicity may be associated with higher permeability. It is concluded that Harrat Rahat is characterized by a good geothermal potential for future geothermal energy source production.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Mr. Yousef Al-Amri for his contribution during field data collection.

Funding

This project was funded by the National Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation (MAARIFAH), King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Award Number (11–SPA 2208-02).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology & Geophysics, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Abdullah M. Al-Amri & Kamal Abdelrahman

  2. Seismology Department, National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, Cairo, Egypt

    Kamal Abdelrahman

  3. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA

    Robert Mellors & David Harris

Authors
  1. Abdullah M. Al-Amri
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  2. Kamal Abdelrahman
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  3. Robert Mellors
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  4. David Harris
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kamal Abdelrahman.

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Responsible Editor: Amjad Kallel

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Al-Amri, A.M., Abdelrahman, K., Mellors, R. et al. Geothermal potential of Harrat Rahat, Northern Arabian Shield: geological constraints. Arab J Geosci 13, 268 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-5254-7

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