Shallow subsurface temperature surveys in the basin and range province-II. Ground temperatures in the Upsal Hogback geothermal area, west-central Nevada, U.S.A.

Numerous temperature surveys at a depth of 1 m were made in 1973–1985 in the Upsal Hogback and Soda Lakes geothermal areas in west-central Nevada. Whereas the surveys effectively delineated temperature at depth and heat flow within the relatively intense Soda Lakes thermal anomaly, they were not effective at the diffuse Upsal Hogback anomaly, where several perturbing factors that affect shallow subsurface temperatures are exceedingly variable. Albedo is the most important factor in the Upsal Hogback area, even at a depth of 30 m. All possible perturbing factors should be considered when designing a shallow temperature-based prospecting scheme.