Unlocking the Hidden Heat: Hydrothermal and Next-Generation Geothermal Potential in the Rio Grande Rift Zone By: Robert Buluma The American Southwest is a land of dramatic landscapes—towering mountains, vast deserts, and winding rivers. Beneath this rugged beauty lies a geological treasure trove: the Rio Grande Rift (RGR), a massive continental rift stretching over 1,000 kilometers from central Colorado through New Mexico and into West Texas, continuing southward into Mexico. This tectonic feature, formed by the slow pulling apart of the Earth's crust, has created conditions ripe for geothermal energy—one of the most reliable, baseload renewable resources available. In recent years, renewed interest in geothermal has spotlighted the RGR as a prime target for both traditional hydrothermal systems and cutting-edge next-generation approaches like Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). High heat flow, numerous hot springs, and innovative exploration techniques using machine learning are p...
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