Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Geodetic observations, often in conjunction with other data, provide a cost-effective means for identifying and characterizing geothermal resources. A review of the various methods reveals how the technology for measuring deformation has advanced considerably in the past few decades. Currently, interferometric synthetic aperture radar is the method of choice for monitoring deformation at a geothermal field. A discussion of geodetic monitoring at The Geysers geothermal field, California, illustrates some of the progress made and the challenges that remain.