scholarly journals Using Heat Flow Density Values Obtained in the Gulf of Cadiz and Gorringe Bank, Atlantic Ocean

2021 ◽  
Vol 906 (1) ◽  
pp. 012113
Author(s):  
Maria Rosa Duque

Abstract The geothermal heat flow measured at the surface of the Earth is originated by different heat sources located at different depths of the planet. The main sources of heat flow in the crust are associated with radioactive decay of Uranium, Thorium and Potassium, in rocks. In some regions, additional heat sources must be considered such as exothermic chemical reactions. The value of the heat flow coming from deep regions, designated by “heat from the mantle”, must be obtained using indirect methods. In this work, the geoid height was used as indicator of alterations “in heat from the mantle” values, considering that the density decrease in regions with geoid height increase is related to high temperature values in the upper part of the mantle. The region on study is located in the Atlantic Ocean, SW of Cape St. Vincent and Cadiz Gulf. Temperature-depth values were obtained in twelve points of the region considering heat flow by conduction in the vertical direction, using published heat flow and thermal conductivity data. Layered models were made using data obtained in published seismic profiles. Moho depth values were used as lower boundary of the crust and mantle heat flow variations were made according geoid height increases. Ocean depth values between 2.5 and 4.3 km were used. A value of 5°C was used for temperature at the upper boundary (ocean bottom) of the models. Temperature calculus stops when a value of 1350 °C was attained. Lithosphere thickness is obtained considering this temperature value as temperature at the bottom of the lithosphere. Heat flow density values from 36 to 65.8 mW m−2 were used in the work with “heat from the mantle” values from 33 to 35 mw m−2. Curie Point Temperature (600°C) depths from 33 to 36 km were obtained. Lithosphere thickness values about 97 km were obtained in all the models.

1989 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 993-1000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Lucazeau ◽  
Hammed Ben Dhia

Heat-flow density values at 78 sites in Tunisia and the Pelagian Sea are derived from oil exploration wells. Bottom-hole temperatures (BHT) are systematically corrected for mud circulation cooling effects either by a Horner technique when several temperature records are available at a given depth or by a statistical method based on the comparison of all BHT with test temperatures (DST) that are representative of the actual formation temperatures. Thermal conductivities are estimated from detailed studies of stratigraphic and geophysical logs. An inverse technique is used to estimate heat-flow density for each borehole, as well as interpolated temperatures at constant depths. Results are discussed with maps that include heat-flow density data in neighbouring areas (Algeria and the Strait of Sicily). The general trend corresponds remarkably to the recent structural evolution of the Tunisian margin with high values in the Pelagian Sea and decreasing values toward the stable platform.


1986 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 1257-1264 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Wang ◽  
P. Y. Shen ◽  
A. E. Beck

In heat flow determinations, it is customary to treat the surface temperature variation as a finite sum of Fourier components. The medium is assumed to be homogeneous or horizontally stratified with each layer having a constant conductivity and diffusivity. This allows the effect of each periodic component to be calculated analytically. We extend this formulation to include cases where thermal conductivities in some layers of a stratified medium may vary linearly with depth as have been found in the sediments of some continental lakes. The application of this formalism to temperature measurements in Lake Greifensee and Lac Leman shows that even with excellent records of bottom temperature variations over several years, failure to take into account the conductivity variation leads to errors as high as 20% in heat flow density values, depending on the depth interval used. The combined effects of lack of detailed knowledge of conductivity structure and the use of too short and (or) inaccurate records of bottom temperature variations, leading to very significant errors, are also discussed, with particular reference to the problems arising from a lack of recognition of the existence of nonannual terms in the bottom temperature variation and the use of probes that do not penetrate the sediments deeply enough.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-43
Author(s):  
Elena A. Glukhova ◽  
Pavel I. Safronov ◽  
Lev M. Burshtein

The article presents the one-dimensional basin modeling performed in four wells to reconstruct the thermal history of deposits and reconstruct the effective values of the heat flow density.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Rosa Alves Duque

Thermal structure, density distribution and lithosphere thickness in the SW part of the Iberian Peninsula are studied using data obtained in the South Portuguese Zone (SPZ) and SW border of the Ossa Morena Zone (OMZ) in the South of Portugal. Five different regions were defined, and models were built for each region. Geotherms were obtained using average density values from data published. The high values of heat flow density in these regions are attributed to occurrence of anomalous heat sources due to radioactivity content and exothermic chemical reactions associated to ore deposits in the zone. The results obtained with models based on isostasy in the region led to lithosphere thickness values between 95 and 96 km in the SPZ and a lower value of 94.5 km in the SW border of the OMZ. Analysis of geotherms shows lateral variations of temperature at the same depth. These lateral variations are compared with information obtained with seismic data.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline Harlé ◽  
Alexandra R. L. Kushnir ◽  
Coralie Aichholzer ◽  
Michael J. Heap ◽  
Régis Hehn ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Upper Rhine Graben (URG) has been extensively studied for geothermal exploitation over the past decades. Yet, the thermal conductivity of the sedimentary cover is still poorly constrained, limiting our ability to provide robust heat flow density estimates. To improve our understanding of heat flow density in the URG, we present a new large thermal conductivity database for sedimentary rocks collected at outcrops in the area including measurements on (1) dry rocks at ambient temperature (dry); (2) dry rocks at high temperature (hot) and (3) water-saturated rocks at ambient temperature (wet). These measurements, covering the various lithologies composing the sedimentary sequence, are associated with equilibrium-temperature profiles measured in the Soultz-sous-Forêts wells and in the GRT-1 borehole (Rittershoffen) (all in France). Heat flow density values considering the various experimental thermal conductivity conditions were obtained for different depth intervals in the wells along with average values for the whole boreholes. The results agree with the previous heat flow density estimates based on dry rocks but more importantly highlight that accounting for the effect of temperature and water saturation of the formations is crucial to providing accurate heat flow density estimates in a sedimentary basin. For Soultz-sous-Forêts, we calculate average conductive heat flow density to be 127 mW/m2 when considering hot rocks and 184 mW/m2 for wet rocks. Heat flow density in the GRT-1 well is estimated at 109 and 164 mW/m2 for hot and wet rocks, respectively. Results from the Rittershoffen well suggest that heat flow density is nearly constant with depth, contrary to the observations for the Soultz-sous-Forêts site. Our results show a positive heat flow density anomaly in the Jurassic formations, which could be explained by a combined effect of a higher radiogenic heat production in the Jurassic sediments and thermal disturbance caused by the presence of the major faults close to the Soultz-sous-Forêts geothermal site. Although additional data are required to improve these estimates and our understanding of the thermal processes, we consider the heat flow densities estimated herein as the most reliable currently available for the URG.


Author(s):  
W. G. Powell ◽  
D. S. Chapman ◽  
N. Balling ◽  
A. E. Beck

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