Geothermal Tour

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Salton Sea geothermal field tour (afternoon of April 5)

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Join us for a carpool tour of the Salton Sea geothermal field led by Prof. Mike McKibben, a geologist from U. C. Riverside. There will be opportunities to see and photograph geothermal power plants, geothermal wellheads, mud pots, mud volcanoes, and volcanic domes near the southeast edge of the Salton Sea. Opportunities to see geothermal lithium extraction facilities and drilling rigs may arise, depending on power company operational schedules.

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The tour is limited to 15 vehicles. Travel will be mainly on dusty dirt and gravel roads. Four-wheel drive is not required, but moderate clearance vehicles with good tires are recommended. Depending on the weather, some muddy road and walking conditions may be in effect.

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The tour will assemble at 12 noon on Tuesday, April 5 at the Buckshot Diner and Deli, 8120 US Hwy 111, Niland, CA 92257. We will carpool to minimize the total number of vehicles. It should take us 2-3 hours to tour the geothermal field. Travel distance from the Buckshot Diner in Niland to the Symposium venue in Palm Desert is 67 miles (about 75 minutes) so we can expect to get back to the Symposium venue in Palm Desert between 3 and 5 pm.

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Bring: water, sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, binoculars/cameras, and waterproof/resistant footwear and outerwear if raining. Lunch and snacks can normally be purchased at the Buckshot Diner. The only restroom facilities available during the tour will be found at the Buckshot Diner (beginning and end of tour) and the Sony Bono Wildlife Area on Sinclair Road (middle of tour).

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To sign up for the tour, please email Mike McKibben at michael.mckibben@ucr.edu. Please indicate your name, the type of vehicle, the names of all passengers travelling with you, how many additional passengers you can accommodate for the tour, and your mobile phone number.