Author(s)

Erick Rayora Nyakundi, John Githiri, Maurice K’Orowe

Department of Physics, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya.

Gravity survey was done at the Eburru area to estimate the source depth locations and delineate the fault boundaries using 3D Euler deconvolution. Gravity data was collected using CG-5 gravimeter. Gravity data reductions were done by applying drift correction, latitude correction, free air correction, Bouguer correction and terrain correction to the observed raw data to obtain complete bouguer anomaly (CBA). The CBA data was transferred to Oasis montaj software for Euler deconvolution processing. The 3D Euler deconvolution was carried out to determine and estimate the depth of the density bodies. Euler deconvolution locates the gravity anomaly source and estimates its depth from the gravity observation level. Euler deconvolution was preferred to other filtering methods in this study as solutions are only determined over identified analytic signal peaks, the window size varies according to anomaly size and the final solution involves only a few more precise depth estimates. The Euler deconvolution was performed using structural indices of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0. Results from this analysis indicated that the CBA values in this study area range from gravity values of -272 mGal to -286 mGal and residual Bouguer anomaly amplitude range between -3 mGal and 3.4 mGal. The 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 structural indices generated five solutions at depth range of 433 m - 2269 m, 801 m - 1433 m and 1170 m - 2246 m respectively occurring almost at the same locations on gravity highs. The deep structures were observed to occur in the northern part of the study area, and interpreted to be dense intruding masses likely to be trapped by the overlying cap rock at these depths. These could be geothermal heat sources that can be exploited to generate geothermal energy.

Euler Deconvolution, Source Depth, Structural Index, Gravity Data, Bouguer Anomaly, Geothermal, Heat Source

Nyakundi, E. , Githiri, J. and K’Orowe, M. (2020) Depth Estimation of Geothermal Heat Structures by Euler Deconvolution of Gravity Data at Eburru Area, Kenya. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 8, 148-158. doi: 10.4236/gep.2020.83011.