David D. Blackwell

Blackwell Ph.D. Harvard
Hamilton Professor

Phone 214-768-2745
Email blackwel@smu.edu

Geothermal Studies and Plate Tectonics
Energy Resource Estimates and Geothermal Exploration

Courses Taught

GEOL 3340 - Face of the Earth
GEOL 5320 - Dynamic Earth
GEOL 6341 - Basin Analysis
GEOL 6375 - Theory of Heat Flow and Diffusion

Research Statement

David Blackwell's research involves the thermal state of the lithosphere, in all its different combinations and permutations. Current projects deal with the thermal structure of sedimentary basins, heat flow and plate tectonics, especially the temperature structure in subduction zones and its geodynamic implications, thermal regime of geothermal systems, including the heat flow of Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming, and regional geothermal resource evaluation for the United States. A new wrinkle is an investigation of the crustal effects of large impacts such as the Chixilub, Mexico structure and a possible new impact structure in central Idaho.

Dave has worked with graduate students Jessie Bonner and Jason McKenna in their studies of the relationship between surface heat flow, crustal thermal structure, and seismicity. These studies have implications for seismic risk assessment. By utilizing the surface heat flow and thermal conductivity data for subsurface rocks, Dave and his students have shown the temperature along major fault zones at depth relates to the potential of the crust to support brittle failure. In McKenna's work, the physical properties of the hanging wall of the subduction zone, along with the surface heat flow, determines whether blueschist or greenschist conditions occur at the plate boundary. Seismic zones appear to be correlated with greenschist conditions on the surface of the subducting slab.

Selected Publications

Tester, J. W., Anderson, B., Batchelor, A., Blackwell, D., DiPippo, R., Drake, E., Garnish, J., Livesay, B., Moore, M.C., Nichols, K., Petty, S., Toksoz, N., Veatch, R., Augustine, C., Baria, R., Murphy, E., Negraru, P., Richards, M. 2006. The future of geothermal energy: Impact of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) on the United States in the 21st century. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, DOE Contract DE-AC07-05ID14517 Final Report, 374 p.

Coolbaugh, M., Zehner, R., Kreemer, C., Blackwell, D., Oppliger, G., Sawatzky, D., Blewitt, G., Pancha, A., Richards, M., Helm-Clark, C., Shevenell, L., Raines, G., Johnson, G., Minor, T., and Boyd, T., Geothermal potential map of the Great Basin, western United States: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Map 151, 2005.

McKenna, J.R., and D.D. Blackwell, Geothermal Electric Power from Texas Hydrocarbon Fields, GRC BULLETIN, v34, no 3, 121-128, 2005.

McKenna, Jason, David Blackwell, Christopher Moyes, and P. Dee Patterson, Geothermal electric power supply possible from Gulf Coast, Midcontinent oil field waters, Oil & Gas Journal, Sept. 5, 34-40, 2005.

Blackwell, D. D., and Richards, M. 2004. Geothermal Map of North America. Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geologist (AAPG), 1 sheet, scale 1:6,500,000.

Blackwell, D.D. and Maria Richards, Calibration of the AAPG Geothermal Survey of North America BHT Data Base, AAPG Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX, Poster session, paper 87616, 2004.

McKenna, J.R., and D.D. Blackwell, Numerical Modeling of Transient Basin and Range Extensional Geothermal Systems, Geothermics, 33, 457-476, 2004.

Negraru, P. and D. D. Blackwell, New Heat Flow Measurements in Texas (abstract), AAPG Annual Meeting, 2004.
Blackwell, D.D., and M. Richards, Geothermal Map of North America, AAPG Map, scale 1:6,500,000, Product Code 423, 2004.

McKenna, J.R., and D.D. Blackwell, Heat sources in subduction zones: implications for slab seismicity and arc-volcanism, in The Cascadia Subduction Zone and Related Subduction Systems-Seismic Structure, Intraslab Earthquakes and Processes, and Earthquake Hazards, edited by S.H. Kirby, K. Wang, and S. Dunlop, pp. 127-131, U.S. Geo. Sur. Open-File Report 02-328, 2002.

McKenna, J.R., and D.D. Blackwell, Thermal regime of a large mid-continent oil field (Butler County, Kansas) from high-resolution temperature logs, Oklahoma Geol. Sur. Circ., 106, 151-161, 2002.

Blackwell, D.D., K.W. Wisian, J.R. McKenna, Geophysical and geological models of the structure of normal faulting in Dixie Valley, Nevada, draft paper for submission to Jour. Geophys. Res., 2002.

Blackwell, D.D., M. Leidig, R. Smith, S. Johnson, and K.W. Wisian, Exploration and development techniques for Basin and Range geothermal systems: examples from Dixie Valley, Nevada, Geothermal Resources Council Trans., 26, 513-518, 2002.

Richards, Maria and David Blackwell, The Forgotten Ones: Geothermal roads less traveled in Nevada, Geothermal Bulletin, v. 31, no. 2, 69-75, 2002.

Blackwell, D.D., K.W. Wisian and M. Richards, Heat Flow / Thermal Gradient Exploration in the Western United States and the Evaluation of Geothermal Systems, Proceedings of the World Geothermal Congress 2000, CD-ROM, 2000.

Gallardo, J. and D.D. Blackwell, 1999, Thermal structure of the Anadarko Basin, Oklhahoma , Bull. Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol., 83, 333-361.

Benoit, D., D.D. Blackwell, R. Norman, C. Smithpeter, and S. Thompson, 1999, Design, Fabrication, installaion, and testing of an advnaced wellbore/reservoir monitoring system at the Dixie Valley, Nevada geothermal field, Proceedings, 24th Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, January 25-27, 6pp.

Blackwell, D.D., 1999, Introduction to geothermics in basin analysis, in Geothermics in Basin Analysis, ed. D. Merriam and A. Forster, Plenum Press, April.

Blackwell, D.D., G.R. Beardsmore, R.K. Nishimori, and M.J. McMullen, Jr., 1999, High Resolution termperature logs in a petroleum setting, examples and applications, in Geothermics in Basin Analysis, ed. D. Merriam and A. Forster, Planum Press, April.

Wisian, K.W., D.D. Blackwell, and M. Richards, 1999, Heat flow in the western U.W. and extensional geothermal systems, Proceedings 24th Workshop in Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, January 25-27.

Wisian, K.W., D.D. Blackwell, S. Bellani, J.A. Henfling, R.A. Normann, P.C. Lysne, A. Forster and J. Schrotter, 1998, Field comparison of conventional and new technology temperature logging systems, Geothermics,27, 131-141.

Carter, L.S., S.A. Kelley, D.D. Blackwell, and N.D. Naeser, 1998, Heat flow and thermal history of the Anadarko Basin, Oklahoma, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 82, 291-316.

Forster, A., J. Schrotter, D.R. Merriam, and D.D. Blackwell, 1997, Application of optical-fiber temperature logging -- An example in a sedimentary evnironment, Geophysics, 62, 1107-1113.

Wisian, D.W., D.D. Blackwell, W.J. Teplow, and T. Meidev, 1996, Interpretation of geophysical data for the Vale Oregan geothermal system, Trans. Geothermal Resources Council, 20, 435-438.

Blackwell, D.D., G.R. Priest, 1996, Comment on "Rates and patterns of groundwater flow in the Cascade Range volcanic arc and the effect on subsurface temperatures" by S.E. Ingebritsen, D.R. Sherrod, and R.H. Mariner, J. Geophys Res., 101, 17, 561-17, 568.

Blackwell, D.D., G.R. Priest, 1996, Comment on "S.E. Ingebritsen, M.A. Scholl, and D.R. Sherrod, 1996, Heat flow from four research holes in the Western Cascades, Oregon, Geothermics, 25, 715-724.

Blackwell, D.D., K.W. Wisian, and J.L. Steele, 1995, Geothermal regime in the United States east of the Rock Mountains, opp. 649-653, in Proceedings of the World Geothermal Congress, 1995, ed. E. Barbier, G. Frye, E. Iglesias, and G. Palmason, 1, 656p.Blackwell, D.D., and Kelley, S., 1994, Implications of facies models on geothermal systems in the Basin and Range province, Geothermal Resources Council Transactions, 18, 3-6.

Blackwell, D.D., J.L. Steele, and K. Wisian, 1994, Results of geothermal resource evaluation for the Eastern United States, Geothermal Resources Council Transactions, 18, 161-164.

Blackwell, D.D., S.A. Kelley, and K. Wisian, 1994. Thermal regime of the continental crust based on precision temperature logs of deep wells, in Preceedings of VIIth International Symposium on the Observation of the Continental Crust through Drilling, Santa Fe, NM, 277-280.