Ethiopia's geothermal energy monitored and mapped

Aluto volcano, Ethiopia's main source of geothermal energy is in the center of attention, for a group of scientists from U.K. and Ethiopia, who using advanced monitoring techniques, are exploring the development of the Rift Valley. The research findings have been recently published in the open access journal Geosphere.

Aluto volcano and the geothermal energy that comes from it, provides Ethiopia with a low-carbon energy resource, which is expected to grow considerably in the future. Scientists believe that preexisting volcanic and tectonic structures have contributed in the volcanic complex's development and still contribute to the extraction of fluids and geothermal gases.

William Hutchison of the University of Oxford and his colleagues focused on the study of these preexisting structures using field observations and high end technology, such as high-resolution airborne imagery and CO2 degassing data. Their purpose is to discover their role in the definition of the fluids' pathways and spatial patterns of volcanism, hydrothermal alterations and degassing. According to the authors, this knowledge greatly contributes towards "defining the evolution of rift zones and has important implications for geothermal exploration, mineralization and the assessment of volcanic hazard". Scientists believe that the present study along with future research, should target in the creation of high-resolution maps of off-rift tectonic structures, whereas detailed field work is going to help in determining the stress field orientation during the development of the Aluto magma reservoir.

The journal paper entitled "Structural controls on fluid pathways in an active rift system: A case study of the Aluto volcanic complex" is published in the open access journal Geosphere and you may access it here!