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Keywords: Geothermal, geochemistry, Lake Toba, caldera, Lake Toba is known as the largest caldera lake on the earth
water chemistry, gas chemistry, stable isotope, steam-heated. formed by an explosive eruption 74 ka (Chesner and Rose,
1991). The eruption ejected approximately 2,800 km3 of
ABSTRACT magma (Rose and Chesner, 1990) in a single event and
Lake Toba is administratively located in North Sumatra ranked as the largest volcanic eruption during Quaternary
Province, Indonesia. Lake Toba is known as the largest period. This eruption then generated the biggest caldera on
volcanic lake on the earth formed by an explosive eruption the earth, measuring 100 x 30 km.
about 74 ka. On the surrounding area of Lake Toba, hot
springs are largely found. These hot springs are
accompanied by alteration on the surrounding area. The
most extensive hot springs are located on Pusuk Bukit and
Simbolon area on the western part of the lake. Preliminary
study of the geothermal system on Pusuk Bukit and
Simbolon area revealed that these two areas are the
hydrothermal system associated with Toba Caldera.
Figure 2: Distribution of pre-caldera volcanic rocks and caldera-fill rocks (modified from Chesner, 2011).
3. FLUID GEOCHEMISTRY ANALYSIS were then analyzed for water chemistry, stable isotope, and
3.1 Samples gas chemistry in the laboratory.
Geothermal manifestations such as fumaroles, hot springs, 3.3 Water Type
and altered rocks were mainly distributed at the western part
of Lake Toba. There are two main sites of the hot springs; Water type is shown on Figure 4 based on the dominant
Pusuk Bukit and Simbolon fields. anion (Giggenbach, 1988). Hot springs from Simbolon and
Pusuk Bukit are grouped into 2 water types. The first type is
Two hot spring water samples were collected from Pusuk Cl and HCO3 type represented by hot springs from Rianiate.
Bukit and 5 samples from Simbolon area (Figure 3). The water has near-neutral pH. The principle constituents
Observation was done in each hot springs that consists of its are Cl in anions. The water suggests a mixing of deep
location, hot springs appearance, and measurement of hot neutral Cl and steam-heated bicarbonate water in origin. The
springs characteristics. The characteristics of each hot hot spring is discharging at the northern end of Simbolon
spring are shown on Table 1. field.
Table 1. Samples from Simbolon and Pusuk Bukit The second type is steam-heated water; most of them are
geothermal fields. acid sulfate water from Pintu Batu and Simbolon in the
Simbolon field, and from Pusuk Bukit field. The principal
Sample Location Occurrence Temperature pH constituent of anion is SO4 ranging from 635 to 2570 mg/l,
Number (C) and chloride ion which is less than a few mg/l. The pH of
B130309-1W Rianite Hot spring 69.6 6.79 these samples is acid, about pH = 2. Such characteristics
indicate typical steam-heated acid SO4 water. Among the
B130309-2W Pintu Batu Hot spring 40.2 2.40 steam-heated water, B130309-4W from Simbolon is unique;
B130309-3W Pintu Batu Hot spring 49.4 2.28 where pH is neutral, and NH4 is dominant in cation.
Probably organic rich sediments could be underlain in these
B130309-4W Simbolon Hot spring 84.6 6.84 areas.
Figure 4: Chemical types for water from hot springs on Simbolon and Pusuk Bukit.
Figure 5: Cl-Li-B diagram for water from hot springs on Simbolon and Pusuk Bukit.
Figure 7: Stable isotope data of water from hot springs on Simbolon and Pusuk Bukit geothermal fields.
4. SOURCE OF FLUID The hot springs are distributed in 2 areas, namely Simbolon
Result of stable isotope analysis is shown in Figure 7. and Pusuk Bukit fields. In total, 7 hot springs are found.
Except B130309-4W and B130310-2W, most of the hot From these hot springs, water samples were obtained in
springs from Simbolon and Pusuk Bukit fields are plotted at order to analyze their chemical content.
about -60 for D and -7.2 for 18O. These hot spring
Based on geochemistry analysis, the hot springs in Simbolon
waters from B130309-2W, B130309-3W, B130309-4W,
and Pusuk Bukit geothermal fields show Cl-HCO3 and
B130309-5W, B130310-1W, and B130310-2W are steam-
steam-heated water type. The geothermal fluid on both
heated water. These hot springs possibly originated from
areas has meteoric origin. Interaction between geothermal
the local surface water at this level. These fluids are
fluid and organic rich sedimentary rock is expected to occur
undergoing boiling process, following the trend line. The
at depth as evidenced by the high value of NH4 and B in
fluids from B130309-4W and B130310-2W suggest that
some samples.
they are residue from boiled water from Pintu Batu and
Pusuk Bukit fields. Toba Lake water is probably enriched ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
by evaporation under ambient temperature.
The authors would like to express great appreciation to
5. CONCLUSION Kyushu University, Fukuoka University and Institut
Teknologi Bandung for the full support so that this research
Lake Toba in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia is
could be accomplished.
acknowledged as the largest volcanic lake on the earth. This
lake was formed by the most striking volcanic eruption 74 The authors would also like to thank the local residents of
ka. Lake Toba is a part of Toba Caldera on which several Pangururan area, Samosir Regency, North Sumatra Province
geothermal hot springs are found on the western part of the for their guidance during visit to the research field.
lake.