Linking geologic history to geothermal resources in the Liard Basin, Northwest Territories, Canada

Canada’s northern communities are overly dependent on diesel fuel, which poses an economic threat in the event of a supply disruption (e.g., river flooding, forest fires). Therefore, the use of geothermal energy is an essential step towards independence and self-sufficiency. In the Northwest Territories, high geothermal gradients offer long-term, year-round heating and power for northern communities. Despite the discovery of such geothermal resources, many questions remain as to why only this area of northern Canada has such potential. In this project, I aim to address this question by combining geothermal information (e.g., distribution of geothermal gradients) with the geologic history of the Liard Basin region (e.g., temperature history, major geologic events, rock properties). By combining this information, I will expand the knowledge of how unconventional geothermal resources form, which can result in a blueprint for geothermal exploration in remote and understudied areas. This benefits Canada in its ongoing efforts to transition to sustainable energy sources. In addition to these broader benefits, this project will benefit research groups at the University of Calgary and the University of Bergen by providing detailed geologic information on the evolution of northern Canada and by implementing a novel numerical modeling approach to unravel geologic histories.

Faculty Supervisor:

Eva Enkelmann

Student:

Partner:

University of Bergen

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Natural Resources; Oil and Gas; Other

University:

University of Calgary

Program: