Offshore research drilling to explore geothermal potential, Gulf of California, Mexico
Jack-up Rig off the coast of Mexico (source: flickr/ Carey Akin, creative commons)
Carlo Cariaga
26 Sep 2019
A team of researchers will be drilling the seabed of the Guaymas Basin to collect valuable insight about its geology and investigate the presence of a geothermal resource
Off the coast of Guaymas, Sonora, a research vessel will be drilling into the seabed of the Gulf of California to collect samples of sediments. These samples will be used to study the tectonics, magmatism, and microbial activity of the Guaymas Basin.
The JOIDES Resolution is set to set sail on Saturday as part of the International Ocean Discovery Program marine research initiative. Onboard the research vessel will be a team of 33 scientists from nine countries.
According to Manet Estafania Peña from the Autonomous University of Baja, California, the ocean floor at the Guaymas Basic is breaking up, causing the ejection of magma into the ocean. Drilling this subsoil will provide geological insights into the evolution of our planet.
In addition, Ligia Pérez Cruz of the Institute of Geophysics of the National Autonomous University (UNAM) said that the sediments of the Gulf of California are likely to contain a large geothermal resource that, at some point, could be used.
“We’re going to make maps of the heat flows and in that way we’ll be able to estimate the geothermal potential of the area . In addition, we will try to identify the quantity of carbon in the basin . . .” according to Florian Neumann from the Center of Scientific Research in Ensenada, Baja California.
Source: Mexico News Daily
