The Colado geothermal area in south-central Pershing County, Nevada is defined by hot water wells in alluvium just west of the West Humboldt Range. Geothermal gradient holes have encountered temperatures up to 113.5/sup 0/C at a depth of 76 m (250 ft) with a gradient reversal in the alluvium below this depth. The West Humboldt Range consists mainly of Triassic to Jurassic slaty shale to quartzite of the Auld Lang Syne Group. Carbonate rocks of the Jurassic Lovelock Formation have been thrust over pelitic rocks on the south end of the area. Erosional remnants of Tertiary tuffs and sediments overlay the metasediments in the West Humboldt Range. The principal structures are high-angle faults striking north-northwest, northeast and north-south. The horst-to-graben transition along the range front consists of several step faults trending irregularly north. The structural pattern in the west edge of the range probably continues to the west under the Quaterary alluvium where the source of the hot water is located. Thermal waters probably rise along a major fault intersection in the Mesozoic rocks then spread out in an aquifer in the alluvium. Several thrust faults are exposed south of Coal Canyon, and a structural break in the Mesozoic rock more » exists under the canyon. Several low-angle faults are present north of Coal Canyon but their effect, if any, on the geothermal occurrence is not known. « less