Magnetotelluric-Constrained Exploration and Conceptual Modelling of High-Enthalpy Geothermal Systems in Western Türkiye

High-enthalpy geothermal systems in western Türkiye are among the most productive geothermal provinces worldwide and supply a significant portion of the country's renewable electricity generation. Over the past two and a half decades, magnetotelluric (MT) surveys have played a central role in geothermal exploration across the Aegean extensional province, providing critical constraints on subsurface resistivity structures associated with clay caps, reservoirs, and fluid pathways.

This chapter reviews the geological framework and exploration experience of high-enthalpy geothermal systems in western Türkiye, positioning the country as Europe's leading geothermal electricity producer and the fourth worldwide in installed capacity. This chapter emphasizes MT-constrained conceptual models, their validation through drilling, and lessons learned from exploration successes and interpretation challenges. This chapter highlights transferable insights for geothermal exploration in both extensional and volcanic geothermal provinces worldwide, using western Türkiye as a natural laboratory for MT-based geothermal exploration.