Integration of Geothermal Exploration Data and Numerical Simulation Data using GIS in a Hot Spring Area

We usually create a geothermal conceptual model based on various exploration data. After that, we construct a numerical model for geothermal resource evaluation. In this study, we selected a hot spring area in Fukuoka city where a numerical model was constructed in the previous study as a study area. And we tried to conduct preprocessing and post-processing of a numerical model and to calculate geothermal resources in the hot springs area by using GIS.As a result, GIS provided us a more objective model which reflects exploration data better than the past model. Though it is difficult to judge which model is correct, we can say that using GIS is very useful in terms of conducting numerical simulation objectively and efficiently. In evaluation of geothermal resources, we calculated resources by volumetric method. We usually use the average values of temperature, physical properties, etc. for the calculation in volumetric method. However, GIS can compute the resources by more strict calculation method, namely GIS can calculate the resources with distribution of temperature and physical properties. Assuming that the lower limit temperature for using geothermal resources is 40 °C, the estimated abundance of heat is 1.14×1013 kJ.