Akutan Hot Springs.
Akutan Hot Springs.
A hot spring discharges 77°C (~171°F) water into Hot Springs Creek, Akutan Island, Alaska, Akutan Volcano (photo). Numerous industry-led geophysical studies and test drilling in the past few years have proven the existence of a geothermal resource. USGS field studies completed in 2012 suggest that the available geothermal resource may be even larger than previously recognized.
The current heat output of the hot spring system is estimated at 29 megawatts – nearly ten times higher than measured in the early 1980s. This large increase may reflect the volcanic and seismic events of the 1990s, and if so, it cannot be considered a short-term anomaly. Modern geothermal plants could use this heat to generate several MW of electricity. One MW of electric power would supply the needs of about 750 homes.
Photo credit: Deborah Bergfeld, USGS. Original public domain image from Flickr