Analysis of the geothermal potential on the Iberian Peninsula using magnetic spectral method and comparison with other data in different tectonic domains

Abstract Crustal geothermal data are of great interest for exploring energy resources, including hydrocarbons and medium- and high-enthalpy geothermal energy reservoirs. They are also of great interest in constraining the rheology of the Earth’s crust and its potential to generate earthquakes. In this work, the Curie temperature depth (CTD) and other regional geothermal parameters (geothermal gradient and heat flow) on the Iberian Peninsula were calculated through spectral analysis of magnetic anomaly data that have been used to understand the regional thermal structure in other parts of the world. The obtained results include maps of the CTD, geothermal gradient, and heat flow that were compared with those obtained by previous authors using other methodologies, as well as with direct data included in the Global Heat Flow Data Base in four tectonic areas (Madrid Basin, Basque–Cantabrian Zone, Ebro Basin/Pyrenees, and the western margin of the Valencia Trough). This analysis revealed a positive correlation between the direct values obtained from wells and those calculated from magnetic data and discovered different geothermal crustal structures in the four areas analysed.