Exploration of Shallow Geothermal Resources Based on Gravity and Magnetic 3D Inversion in the Wudalianchi–Laoheishan Volcano and Surrounding Areas

Chunlong Wei, Yanwu Guan, Xiaolong Li, Mingxing Sun () and Yangang Wu
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Chunlong Wei: College of Geo-Exploration Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun 130026, China
Yanwu Guan: College of Geo-Exploration Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun 130026, China
Xiaolong Li: Jilin Co., Ltd. of China National Building Materials Resources and Environmental Engineering, Changchun 130033, China
Mingxing Sun: Guangxi Bureau of Geology & Mineral Prospecting & Exploitation, Nanning 530023, China
Yangang Wu: College of Geo-Exploration Science and Technology, Jilin University, Changchun 130026, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 8, 1-20

Abstract: Geothermal resources represent one of the most vital renewable energy sources, offering substantial development potential within the energy sector. Wudalianchi, renowned as one of China’s prominent volcanic clusters, has undergone extensive underground volcanic activities, suggesting a promising capacity for geothermal resource accumulation. This paper is the first to apply the cross-gradient gravity-magnetic joint inversion method to study the shallow structures in the Laoheishan Volcano and surrounding areas of Wudalianchi, based on high-precision measured gravity and magnetic data. The inversion results indicate the presence of a rock body at a depth of approximately 2 km beneath the Laoheishan and Bijiashan regions, which simultaneously exhibits characteristics of low density, high magnetization, and low seismic velocity. Integrating previous research findings, the rock body is interpreted as basalt formed during magmatic activity, retaining remanent magnetism. Furthermore, the rock body contains fractures filled with fluids, thereby excluding the possibility of a shallow magma chamber or dry hot rocks beneath the Laoheishan area. These rock bodies are interconnected at depth and align with the NE and SE fault directions in the Wudalianchi area, confirming that these faults govern the region’s volcanic activities. The inversion results, from the perspectives of density and magnetic susceptibility, elucidate the material distribution in the shallow subsurface of the Laoheishan and surrounding areas, providing new evidence for further exploration of geothermal resources in the region.

Keywords: Wudalianchi; Laoheishan Volcano; joint inversion of gravity and magnetic data; geothermal resources (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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