USA, Washington:

November Geology Image of the Month: Exploratory Geothermal Well Logging in Snohomish County (Washington State Geology News)

Pictured are geothermal geologist Jeff Bowman (DNR) and Adam Lewis (Snohomish Co. PUD) logging an exploration well for temperature gradient. This well was located on private land next to the Garland Hot Springs in Snohomish County. The trip to the well required a 3 hour Snowcat (in picture) ride each way. They logged the well in March of 2011.

Exploratory geothermal well logging is an important element of Division of Geology and Earth Resources (DGER) work, and occurs statewide. Below is a picture of a drilling on U.S. Forest Service land in the upper Wind River Valley, Skamania County (from August 2012). In the picture geologists are collecting a sample of the drill cuttings for analysis and lithologic description. The drilling is part of DGER’s National Geothermal Data System (NGDS) grant received from the U.S. Dept. of Energy. It is part of a larger effort to compile and collect existing and new data related to geothermal resources.