Anomalous thermal maturities caused by carbonaceous sediments

Sedimentary rocks such as coal and carbonaceous mudstone which contain abundant carbonaceous matter are characterized by thermal conductivity much lower than that exhibited by other common rock types, by a factor of 5–10. As a result, temperature gradients in such sediments can range up to 0.25 °Cm^-1 even under conditions of average heat flow. When such steep gradients extend over a significant sedimentary thickness, temperatures of underlying rock units are elevated, causing both organic and inorganic phases to record what seem to be anomalously high levels of thermal maturity. This carbonaceous blanket insulating effect may help to explain unusual levels of maturity observed at shallow depths in the Appalachian Basin, Michigan Basin and other regions of the world with significant carbonaceous strata.     

The Astrakhan Arch of the Pricaspian basin: Geothermal analysis and modelling

The Astrakhan Arch (ASAR) region contains one of the largest sub‐salt carbonate structures of the Pricaspian salt basin (located to the northwest of the Caspian Sea), where prospects for hydrocarbon generation and accumulation in the Devonian to Carboniferous deposits are considered to be high. We evaluate the regional vertical temperature gradient within stratigraphic units based on the analysis of 34 boreholes drilled in the region. To show that the thermal gradient is altered in the vicinity of salt diapirs, we study measured temperatures in six deep boreholes. We develop a three‐dimensional geothermal model of the ASAR region constrained by temperature measurements, seismic stratigraphic and lithological data. The temperatures of the sub‐salt sediments predicted by the geothermal model range from about 100 °C to 200 °C and are consistent with the temperatures obtained from the analysis of vitrinite reflectivity and from previous two‐dimensional geothermal models. Temperature anomalies are positive in the uppermost portions of salt diapirs as well as within the salt‐withdrawal basins at the depth of 3.5 km depth and are negative beneath the diapirs. Two areas of positive temperature anomalies in the sub‐salt sediments are likely to be associated with the deep withdrawal basins above and with the general uplift of salt/sub‐salt interface in the southern part of the study region. This implies an enhancement of thermal maturity of any organically rich source rocks within these areas. The surface heat flux in the model varies laterally from about 40 to 55 mW m^?2. These variations in the heat flux are likely to be associated with structural heterogeneities of the sedimentary rocks and with the presence of salt diapirs. The results of our modelling support the hypothesis of oil and gas condensate generation in the Upper Carboniferous to Middle Devonian sediments of the ASAR region.     

Migration pathways in the Central North Slope foreland basin, Alaska USA: solute and thermal constraints on fluid flow simulations

The North Slope foreland basin, Alaska, USA is an east–west asymmetrical trough‐shaped basin adjacent to the Brooks Range fold‐thrust mountain belt. Lower Cretaceous age rocks make up much of the sediment fill, including flysch‐like marine turbidites and shales of the Torok and Fortress Mountain formations and marine and sandstones, shales and conglomerates of the overlying Nanushuk group. Lower Cretaceous age rocks were deposited on top of a Palaeozoic and Mesozoic age passive margin sequence. We have conducted numerical simulations of fluid flow driven by topographic recharge in the Central North Slope foreland basin. These simulations are constrained by salinity estimates from well logs, location of oil and gas fields, vitrinite reflectance and heat flow measurements. Our model results indicate that there are two south to north pathways for fluid migration. The primary pathway for fluid movement is downward through the Fortress Mountain formation, then upwards along the interface between the Fortress Mountain and Torok Formation and finally northward through the permeable Nanushuk group. A smaller mass of groundwater moves along sands below the Torok formation and into offshore sediments north of Alaska. Very little meteoric water enters the underlying Palaeozoic rocks in our simulations, which could explain the presence of deep saline pore waters. Our results also show that permafrost is a primary control on the pathway and rate of fluid flow by controlling the distribution of surface recharge and discharge. For example, areas of high heat flow and low saline waters along the arctic coast may represent upward groundwater discharge because of the absence of permafrost. As surface temperatures were warmer in the Miocene, the absence of permafrost would produce a more local fluid circulation pattern and less transfer of heat energy from south to north.     

Basin modelling of the Limón Back-arc Basin (Costa Rica): burial history and temperature evolution of an island arc-related basin-system

The Limón back‐arc basin belongs to the southern Central American arc‐trench system and is situated at the east coast of Costa Rica. The basin‐fill consists of Late Cretaceous to Pleistocene sedimentary rocks. A northern and a southern sub‐basin can be defined, separated by the E–W‐trending Trans Isthmic Fault System. The North Limón Basin is nearly undeformed, whereas the South Limón Basin is characterized by a fold‐and‐thrust belt. Both sub‐basins have a very similar sedimentary fill and can act as a natural laboratory for reconstructing controlling factors of arc‐related sedimentary basins as well as the influence of deformation on a basin system. Modelling focused on burial history and temperature evolution. Two‐dimensional simulations were carried out with the software PetroMod^®. The geohistory curve of the North Limón Basin is overall linear, indicating continuous subsidence. The South Limón Basin is also characterized by continuous subsidence, but rates strongly increased at the beginning of the Neogene. Despite a rapid Plio‐Pleistocene deformation of the fold‐and‐thrust belt, the present‐day temperature field is not disturbed in that area. The modelling results indicate a mean heat flow of 60 mW m^?2 for the North Limón Basin and 41 mW m^?2 for the South Limón Basin. These values are low compared with other back‐arc basins. The lower values are attributed to the following effects: (1) underlying basaltic crust, (2) the lack of an initial rift phase, (3) the low extension rates, (4) absence of volcanic activity and (5) insulation effects of a thick sediment pile. The reasons for the locally lower heat flow in the southern sub‐basin can be found in the low‐angle subduction of the Cocos Ridge. Owing to the low subduction angle, the cool fore‐arc mantle‐wedge below the island‐arc is pushed backwards increasing the cooled area.     

Thermal properties of sediments in southern Israel: a comprehensive data set for heat flow and geothermal energy studies

To decipher the thermal structure of the sedimentary veneer in southern Israel, new values of thermal conductivity and porosity as well as of the radiogenic heat budget are provided. Thermal conductivity is measured for lithotypes and scaled up for geological formations. The new data are higher than most of the previously measured values, in particular for sandstones and siltstones, whose mean values are 5.0 and 2.9 W m^?1 K^?1. Mean values of the most abundant lithotypes, which are dolomites and limestones, are on the order of 4.1 and 2.7 W m^?1 K^?1, respectively. The total radiogenic heat production of the sedimentary cover varies slightly over southern Israel, due to variable lithology and total sediment thickness, yielding a maximum heat flow on the order of 4 mW m^?2 where the sedimentary section is thickest (ca. 7 km). A temperature prognosis was made by calculating temperature profiles to the top of the crystalline basement at five well locations applying the new thermal‐conductivity data set and three scenarios of surface heat flow (50, 55 and 60 mW m^?2). The calculated temperatures best match with measured drillstem‐test temperatures by using heat‐flow values close to the upper bound of range. Surface heat flow on the order of 55–60 mW m^?2 is supported by a reevaluation of an existing temperature log and the application of thermal conductivity from this study. The temperature prediction for southern Israel shows values of 100–120°C at 3500–4500 m depth, indicating a geothermal potential that can be used for heating as well as electricity production.     

Thermal state of the Roer Valley Graben,part of the European Cenozoic Rift System

We performed a detailed analysis of the thermal state of the Cenozoic Roer Valley Graben, the north–western branch of the European Cenozoic Rift System, based on a new set of temperature data. We developed a numerical technique for correcting bottom hole temperatures, including an evaluation of the uncertainty of thermal parameters. Comparison with drill stem test temperatures indicated that the uncertainty in corrected bottom hole temperatures using a two‐component numerical model is approximately ± 4 °C, which is much more accurate than the up to 15 °C errors encountered in often‐used line‐source or Horner correction methods. The subsurface temperatures and the derived regional heat flow estimates of 53 ± 6 to 63 ± 6 mW m^?2 show no significant difference between the central rift and the adjacent structural highs. The absence of an elevated heat flow is attributed to the low amount of lithospheric thinning during the Cenozoic rifting phase (β=1.06–1.15). A local thermal anomaly exceeding +10 °C was found in five wells in the north–western part of the rift basin at depths of 1000–1500 m, and is most likely caused by the upward flow of fluids along faults, whereas lower temperatures in the upper 1500 m in the southern part of the rift basin could indicate cooling by topography‐driven groundwater flow. Conflicting ideas exist on the active or passive rifting mechanisms responsible for the formation of the different rift basins of European Cenozoic Rift System. The low spatial variation in heat flow found in this study suggests that the mechanism responsible for forming the Roer Valley Graben is passive rifting.     

Models of the rapid post‐rift subsidence in the eastern Qiongdongnan Basin,South China Sea: implications for the development of the deep thermal anomaly

The Qiongdongnan Basin is one of the largest Cenozoic rifted basins on the northern passive margin of the South China Sea. It is well known that since the Late Miocene, approximately 10 Ma after the end of the syn‐rift phase, this basin has exhibited rapid thermal subsidence. However, detailed analysis reveals a two‐stage anomalous subsidence feature of the syn‐rift subsidence deficit and the well‐known rapid post‐rift subsidence after 10.5 Ma. Heat‐flow data show that heat flow in the central depression zone is 70–105 mW m^?2, considerably higher than the heat flow (<70 mW m^?2) on the northern shelf. In particular, there is a NE‐trending high heat‐flow zone of >85 mW m^?2 in the eastern basin. We used a numerical model of coupled geothermal processes, lithosphere thinning and depositional processes to analyse the origin of the anomalous subsidence pattern. Numerical analysis of different cases shows that the stretching factor β_s based on syn‐rift sequences is less than the observed crustal stretching factor β_c, and if the lithosphere is thinned with β_c during the syn‐rift phase (before 21 Ma), the present basement depth can be predicted fairly accurately. Further analysis does not support crustal thinning after 21 Ma, which indicates that the syn‐rift subsidence is in deficit compared with the predicted subsidence with the crustal stretching factor β_c. The observed high heat flow in the central depression zone is caused by the heating of magmatic injection equivalently at approximately 3–5 Ma, which affected the eastern basin more than the western basin, and the Neogene magmatism might be fed by the deep thermal anomaly. Our results suggest that the causes of the syn‐rift subsidence deficit and rapid post‐rift subsidence might be related. The syn‐rift subsidence deficit might be caused by the dynamic support of the influx of warmer asthenosphere material and a small‐scale thermal upwelling beneath the study area, which might have been persisting for about 10 Ma during the early post‐rift phase, and the post‐rift rapid subsidence might be the result of losing the dynamic support with the decaying or moving away of the deep thermal source, and the rapid cooling of the asthenosphere. We concluded that the excess post‐rift subsidence occurs to compensate for the syn‐rift subsidence deficit, and the deep thermal anomaly might have affected the eastern Qiongdongnan Basin since the Late Oligocene.     

A New Model for Heat Flow in Extensional Basins: Estimating Radiogenic Heat Production

Radiogenic heat production (RHP) represents a significant fraction of surface heat flow, both on cratons and in sedimentary basins. RHP within continental crust—especially the upper crust—is high. RHP at any depth within the crust can be estimated as a function of crustal age. Mantle RHP, in contrast, is always low, contributing at most 1 to 2 mW/m² to total heat flow. Radiogenic heat from any noncrystalline basement that may be present also contributes to total heat flow. RHP from metamorphic rocks is similar to or slightly lower than that from their precursor sedimentary rocks. When extension of the lithosphere occurs—as for example during rifting—the radiogenic contribution of each layer of the lithosphere and noncrystalline basement diminishes in direct proportion to the degree of extension of that layer. Lithospheric RHP today is somewhat less than in the distant past, as a result of radioactive decay. In modeling, RHP can be varied through time by considering the half lives of uranium, thorium, and potassium, and the proportional contribution of each of those elements to total RHP from basement. RHP from sedimentary rocks ranges from low for most evaporites to high for some shales, especially those rich in organic matter. The contribution to total heat flow of radiogenic heat from sediments depends strongly on total sediment thickness, and thus differs through time as subsidence and basin filling occur. RHP can be high for thick clastic sections. RHP in sediments can be calculated using ordinary or spectral gamma-ray logs, or it can be estimated from the lithology.     

Late Archaean to Palaeoproterozoic geotherms in the Kaapvaal craton, South Africa: constraints on the thermal evolution of the Witwatersrand Basin

The c. 2.97–2.71 Ga Witwatersrand Basin located in the Kaapvaal craton of South Africa represents a remnant of a large Late Archaean sedimentary basin that hosts the world's premier gold deposit within a series of conglomerate horizons. Evidence of postdepositional gold mobility within these conglomerates associated with hydrothermal–metamorphic activity has led to speculation about the Late Archaean to Palaeoproterozoic geothermal gradients in the basin. We use surface heat flow and heat production data from rocks in the basin and its environs in order to calculate detailed temperature profiles for the central Kaapvaal craton that show that the steady state crustal geotherm during the Late Archaean and Palaeoproterozoic was relatively cool at 15–20 K km^?1. The geotherm in the upper crustal strata is also largely unaffected by substantial increases in the heat flow into the base of the crust. Consequently, regional greenschist facies metamorphism of the basin sediments could only have been achieved during a transient thermal event that advected heat into the upper crust. The most likely candidate for this is the Bushveld magmatic event at 2.06 Ga.     

Subsidence and thermal history of an inverted Late Jurassic‐Early Cretaceous extensional basin (Cameros,North‐central Spain) affected by very low‐ to low‐grade metamorphism

The Cameros Basin (North Spain) is a Late Jurassic‐Early Cretaceous extensional basin, which was inverted during the Cenozoic. It underwent a remarkable thermal evolution, as indicated by the record of anomalous high temperatures in its deposits. In this study, the subsidence and thermal history of the basin is reconstructed, using subsidence analysis and 2D thermal modelling. Tectonic subsidence curves provide evidence of the occurrence of two rapid subsidence phases during the syn‐extensional stage. In the first phase (Tithonian‐Early Berriasian), the largest accommodation space was formed in the central sector of the basin, whereas in the second (Early Barremian‐Early Albian), it was formed in the northern sector. These rapid subsidence phases could correspond to relevant tectonic events affecting the Iberian Plate at that time. By distinguishing between the initial and thermal subsidence and defining their relative magnitudes, Royden's (1986) method was used to estimate the heat flow at the end of the extensional stage. A maximum heat flow of 60–65 mW/m² is estimated, implying only a minor thermal disturbance associated with extension. In contrast with these data, very high vitrinite reflectance, anomalously distributed in some case with respect to the typical depth‐vitrinite reflectance relation, was measured in the central‐northern sector of the basin. Burial and thermal data are used to construct a 2D thermal basin model, to elucidate the role of the processes involved in sediment heating. Calibration of the thermal model with the vitrinite reflectance (%Ro) and fluid inclusion (FI) data indicates that in the central and northern sectors of the basin, an extra heat source, other than a typical rift, is required to explain the observed thermal anomalies. The distribution of the %Ro and FI values in these sectors suggests that the high temperatures and their distribution are related to the circulation of hot fluids. Hot fluids were attributed to the hydrothermal metamorphic events affecting the area during the early post‐extensional and inversion stages of the basin.     

Deep vs. shallow controlling factors of the crustal thermal field – insights from 3D modelling of the Beaufort‐Mackenzie Basin (Arctic Canada)

Significant lateral variations in observed temperatures in the Beaufort‐Mackenzie Basin raise the question on the temperature‐controlling factors. Based on the structural configuration of the sediments and underlying crust in the area, we calculate the steady‐state 3D conductive thermal field. Integrated data include the base of the relic permafrost layer representing the 0 °C‐isotherm, public‐domain temperature data (from 227 wells) and thermal conductivity data. For >75% of the wells the predicted temperatures deviate by <10 K from the observed temperatures, which validates the overall model setup and adopted thermal properties. One important trend reproduced by the model is a decrease in temperatures from the western to the eastern basin. While in the west, a maximum temperature of 185 °C is reached at 5000 m below sea level, in the east the maximum temperature is 138 °C. The main cause for this pattern lies in lateral variations in thermal conductivity indicating differences in the shale and sand contents of the different juxtaposed sedimentary units. North‐to‐south temperature trends reveal the superposition of deep and shallow effects. At the southern margin, where the insulating effect of the low‐conductive sediments is missing, temperatures are lowest. Farther north, where the sub‐sedimentary continental crust is thick enough to produce considerable heat and a thick pile of sediments efficiently stores heat, temperatures tend to be highest. Temperatures decrease again towards the northernmost distal parts of the basin, where thinned continental and oceanic crust produce less radiogenic heat. Wells with larger deviations of the purely conductive model from the temperature observations (>15 K at 10% of the wells) and their basin‐wide pattern of misfit tendency (too cold vs. too warm temperature predictions) point to a locally restricted coupling of heat transport to groundwater flow.     

Feedbacks of sedimentation on crustal heat flow: New insights from the Vøring Basin,Norwegian Sea

Basement heat flow is one of the key unknowns in sedimentary basin analysis. Its quantification is challenging not in the least due to the various feedback mechanisms between the basin and lithosphere processes. This study explores two main feedbacks, sediment blanketing and thinning of sediments during lithospheric stretching, in a series of synthetic models and a reconstruction case study from the Norwegian Sea. Three types of basin models are used: (1) a newly developed one‐dimensional (1D) forward model, (2) a decompaction/backstripping approach and (3) the commercial basin modelling software TECMOD2D for automated forward basin reconstructions. The blanketing effect of sedimentation is reviewed and systematically studied in a suite of 1D model runs. We find that even for moderate sedimentation rates (0.5 mm year^?1), basement heat flow is depressed by ～25% with respect to the case without sedimentation; for high sedimentation rates (1.5 mm year^?1), basement heat flow is depressed by ～50%. We have further compared different methods for computing sedimentation rates from the presently observed stratigraphy. Here, we find that decompaction/backstripping‐based methods may systematically underestimate sedimentation rates and total subsidence. The reason for this is that sediments are thinned during lithosphere extension in forward basin models while there are not in backstripping/decompaction approaches. The importance of sediment blanketing and differences in modelling approaches is illustrated in a reconstruction case study from the Norwegian Sea. The thermal and structural evolution of a transect across the Vøring Basin has been reconstructed using the backstripping/decompaction approach and TECMOD2D. Computed total subsidence curves differ by up to ～3 km and differences in computed basement heat flows reach up to 50%. These findings show that strong feedbacks exist between basin and lithosphere processes and that resolving them require integrated lithosphere‐scale basin models.     

A model for underpressure development in a glacial valley,an example from Adventdalen,Svalbard

The underpressure observed in the glacial valley Adventdalen at Svalbard is studied numerically with a basin model and analytically with a compartment model. The pressure equation used in the basin model, which accounts for underpressure generation, is derived from mass conservation of pore fluid and solid, in addition to constitutive equations. The compartment model is derived as a similar pressure equation, which is based on a simplified representation of the basin geometry. It is used to derive analytical expressions for the underpressure (overpressure) from a series of unloading (loading) intervals. The compartment model gives a characteristic time for underpressure generation of each interval, which tells when the pressure state is transient or stationary. The transient pressure is linear in time for short‐time spans compared to the characteristic time, and then it is proportional to the weight removed from the surface. We compare different contributions to the underpressure generation and find that porosity rebound from unloading is more important than the decompression of the pore fluid during unloading and the thermal contraction of the pore fluid during cooling of the subsurface. Our modelling shows that the unloading from the last deglaciation can explain the present day underpressure. The basin model simulates the subsurface pressure resulting from erosion and unloading in addition to the fluid flow driven by the topography. Basin modelling indicates that the mountains surrounding the valley are more important for the topographic‐driven flow in the aquifer than the recharging in the neighbour valley. The compartment model turns out to be useful to estimate the orders of magnitude for system properties like seal and aquifer permeabilities and decompaction coefficients, despite its geometric simplicity. We estimate that the DeGeerdalen aquifer cannot have a permeability that is higher than 1 · 10^?18 m², as otherwise, the fluid flow in the aquifer becomes dominated by topographic‐driven flow. The upper value for the seal permeability is estimated to be 1 · 10^?20 m², as higher values preclude the generation and preservation of underpressure. The porosity rebound is estimated to be <0.1% during the last deglaciation using a decompaction coefficient α_r = 1 · 10^?9 Pa^?1.     

Stratabound Geothermal Resources in North Dakota and South Dakota

Geothermal energy resources in North Dakota and South Dakota occur as low (T < 90°C) and intermediate (T < 150°C) temperature geothermal waters in regional-scale aquifers within the Williston and Kennedy Basins. The accessible resource base is approximately 21.25 exajoules (10¹⁸ J = 1 exajoule, 10¹⁸ J ~ 10¹⁵ Btu = 1 quad) in North Dakota and 12.25 exajoules in South Dakota. Resource temperatures range from 40°C at depths of about 700 m to 150°C at 4500 m in the Williston Basin in North Dakota. In South Dakota, resource temperatures range from 44°C at a depth of 550 m near Pierre to 100°C at a depth of 2500 m in the northwestern corner. This resource assessment raises the identified accessible resource base by 31% above the previous assessments and by 310% over an earlier assessment. The large increases in the identified accessible resource bases reported in this study result from including all potential geothermal aquifers and better understanding of the thermal regime of the region. These results imply that a reassessment of stratabound geothermal resources in the United States that includes all geothermal aquifers would increase significantly the identified accessible resource base. The Williston Basin in North Dakota is characterized by conductive heat flows ranging from 43 to 68 mW m^–2 and averaging 55 mW m^–2. Comparisons of calculated and bottomhole temperatures measured in oil fields over the Nesson Anticline and the Billings Nose show temperature differences which suggest that upward groundwater flow in fractures on the westward sides of the structures slightly perturbs the otherwise conductive thermal field. The maximum heat-flow disturbance is estimated to be of the order of 10 to 20 mW m^–2. These thermal anomalies do not alter significantly the accessible geothermal resource base. Anomalous heat flow in south-central South Dakota is caused by heat advection in gravity-driven groundwater flow in regional aquifers. Heat flow is anomalously high (Q > 130 mW m^–2) in the discharge area in south-central South Dakota and anomalously low (30 mW m²) in the recharge area near the Black Hills and along the western limb of the Kennedy Basin in western South Dakota. Heat-flow disturbances are the result of vertical groundwater flow through fractures in the discharge area of the regional flow system in South Dakota are minor and may be significant only in deeply incised stream valleys. An important factor that controls the temperature of the resource in both North Dakota and South Dakota is the insulating effect of a thick (500–2000 m) layer of low thermal-conductivity shales that overlie the region. The effective thermal conductivity of the shale layer is approximately 1.2 W m^–1 K^–1 in contrast to sandstones and carbonates, which have conductivities of 2.5 to 3.5 W m^–1 K^–1. This low conductivity leads to high geothermal gradients (dT/dz > 50°C km^–1), even where heat flow has normal continental values, that is 40–60 mW m^–2. Engineering studies show that geothermal space heating using even the lowest temperature geothermal aquifers (T 40 °C) in North Dakota and South Dakota is cost effective at present economic conditions. The Inyan Kara Formation of the Dakota Group (Cretaceous) is the preferred geothermal aquifer in terms of water quality and productivity. Total dissolved solids in the Inyan Kara Formation ranges from 3,000 to more than 20,000 mg L^–1. Porosities normally are higher than 20%, and the optimum producing zones generally are thicker than 30 m. The estimated water productivity index of a productive well in the Inyan Kara Formation is 0.254179 l s^–1 Mpa^–1. Deeper formations have warmer waters, but, in general, are less permeable and have poorer water quality than the Inyan Kara.     

Effect of the Cretaceous Serra Geral igneous event on the temperatures and heat flow of the Paraná Basin, southern Brazil

We investigate the effects of the cooling of intrusive and extrusive igneous bodies on the temperature history and surface heat flow of the Paraná Basin. The Serra Geral igneous event (130–135 Ma) covered most of this basin with flood basalts. Associated with this event numerous sills and dykes intruded the sediments and basement, and extensive underplating may have occurred in the lower crust and upper mantle beneath the basin. We develop an analytical model of the conductive cooling of tabular intrusive bodies and use it to calculate temperatures within the sediments as a function of time since emplacement. Depending on the thickness of these igneous bodies and the timing of sequential emplacement, the thermal history of a given locus in the basin can range from a simple extended period of higher temperatures to multiple episodes of peak temperatures separated by cooling intervals. The cooling of surface flood basalts, sills and dykes is capable of maintaining temperatures above the normal geothermal gradient temperatures for a few hundred thousand years, while large-scale underplating may influence temperatures for up to 10 million years. We conclude that any residual heat from the cooling of the Serra Geral igneous rocks has long since decayed to insignificant values and that present-day temperatures and heat flow are not affected. However, the burial of the sediments beneath the thick basalt cap caused a permanent temperature increase of up to 50°C in the underlying sediments since the beginning of the Cretaceous.     

Effect of the Cretaceous Serra Geral igneous event on the temperatures and heat flow of the Parana Basin, southern Brazil

We investigate the effects of the cooling of intrusive and extrusive igneous bodies on the temperature history and surface heat flow of the Parana Basin. The Serra Geral igneous event (130–135 Ma) covered most of this basin with flood basalts. Associated with this event numerous sills and dykes intruded the sediments and basement, and extensive underplating may have occurred in the lower crust and upper mantle beneath the basin. We develop an analytical model of the conductive cooling of tabular intrusive bodies and use it to calculate temperatures within the sediments as a function of time since emplacement. Depending on the thickness of these igneous bodies and the timing of sequential emplacement, the thermal history of a given locus in the basin can range from a simple extended period of higher temperatures to multiple episodes of peak temperatures separated by cooling intervals. The cooling of surface flood basalts, sills and dykes is capable of maintaining temperatures abovc the normal geothermal gradient temperatures for a few hundred thousand years, while large-scale underplating may influence temperatures for up to 10 million years. We conclude that any residual heat from the cooling of the Serra Geral igneous rocks has long since decayed to insignificant values and that present-day temperatures and heat flow are not affected. However, the burial of the sediments beneath the thick basalt cap caused a permanent temperature increase of up to 50°C in the underlying sediments since the beginning of the Cretaceous.     

Towards ground truthing exploration in the central Arctic Ocean: a Cenozoic compaction history from the Lomonosov Ridge

The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program's Expedition 302, the Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX), recovered the first Cenozoic sedimentary sequence from the central Arctic Ocean. ACEX provided ground truth for basin scale geophysical interpretations and for guiding future exploration targets in this largely unexplored ocean basin. Here, we present results from a series of consolidation tests used to characterize sediment compressibility and permeability and integrate these with high‐resolution measurements of bulk density, porosity and shear strength to investigate the stress history and the nature of prominent lithostratigraphic and seismostratigraphic boundaries in the ACEX record. Despite moderate sedimentation rates (10–30 m Myr^?1) and high permeability values (10^?15–10^?18 m²), consolidation and shear strength measurements both suggest an overall state of underconsolidation or overpressure. One‐dimensional compaction modelling shows that to maintain such excess pore pressures, an in situ fluid source is required that exceeds the rate of fluid expulsion generated by mechanical compaction alone. Geochemical and sedimentological evidence is presented that identifies the Opal A–C/T transformation of biosiliceous rich sediments as a potential additional in situ fluid source. However, the combined rate of chemical and mechanical compaction remain too low to fully account for the observed pore pressure gradients, implying an additional diagenetic fluid source from within or below the recovered Cenozoic sediments from ACEX. Recognition of the Opal A–C/T reaction front in the ACEX record has broad reaching regional implications on slope stability and subsurface pressure evolution, and provides an important consideration for interpreting and correlating the spatially limited seismic data from the Arctic Ocean.     

One-dimensional models of groundwater flow, sediment thermal history and petroleum generation within continental rift basins

We investigate the effects of convective heat transfer on the thermal history of sediments and petroleum formation within continental rift basins using one-dimensional mathematical modelling. The transport equations used in this study to describe vertical groundwater flow and conductive/convective heat transfer are solved by the finite element method. Sediment thermal history is quantitatively represented using first-order rate kinetic expressions for kerogen degradation and an empirical fanning Arrhenius model for apatite fission track annealing. Petroleum generation is also represented in the model by a suite of first-order rate kinetic expressions. The analysis provides insights into how pore fluid circulation patterns are preserved in the rock record as anomalies in palaeogeothermometric data within continental rifts. Parameters varied in the numerical experiments include the ratio of conductive to convective heat transfer (thermal Peclet number; Pe) and the composition of the disseminated organic matter in the sediment (type II and III kerogen). Quantitative results indicate that vertical groundwater flow rates on the order of a mm/yr cause a change in computed vitrinite reflectance of the rocks and a shift in the depth to oil generation by as much as 3000 m. Differences in thermal gradients between recharge and discharge areas (Pe= 0.6) also change the width of the zone of oil generation by a factor of two. Even more dramatic, however, are the large changes in predicted apatite fission track length distributions and model ages between recharge and discharge areas. For example, a sediment package buried to a depth of 2400 m over 200 Myr within the groundwater recharge column had a fission track length distribution with a computed mean and standard deviation of 12.83 μm and 0.77 μm, respectively. The fission track model age for this sediment package was 209 Ma. The same sediment package in the discharge area has a distribution with a mean track length of 5.68 μm, a standard deviation of 3.37 μm, and a fission track model age of 2.6 Ma. Transient groundwater flow simulations, in which fluid circulation ceases after a period of time within the rift basin, are also presented to illustrate how disturbances in palaeogeothermometric parameters are preserved on geological time-scales. Vitrinite reflectance profiles require about 10 Myr to return to conductive conditions within groundwater recharge areas while the convective disturbances are preserved indefinitely along the discharge column, as long as further subsidence does not occur. Ancient groundwater flow systems are preserved as anomalies in computed apatite fission track model ages and distributions much longer after groundwater flow stops, relative to organic-based geothermometers. Significant differences exist in model ages between recharge (145 Ma) and discharge (90 Ma) areas 200 Myr after flow has ceased. However, calculated fission track histogram distributions are virtually identical in recharge and discharge areas after about 50 Myr. Our study suggests that ancient groundwater flow systems can be detected by comparing thermochronometric data between suspected recharge and discharge areas within continental rifts. Vitrinite reflectance profiles, observed offsets in the depth to the onset of petroleum generation, and apatite fission track annealing studies are all well suited for detecting groundwater flow systems which have been relatively long lived (10⁷ years). Apatite fission track age data are probably best suited for identifying ancient groundwater flow systems within rifts long (>200 Myr) after flow ceases.     

Unravelling the multi-stage burial history of the Swiss Molasse Basin: integration of apatite fission track, vitrinite reflectance and biomarker isomerisation analysis

A complex basin evolution was studied using various methods, including thermal constraints based on apatite fission‐track (AFT) analysis, vitrinite reflectance (VR) and biomarker isomerisation, in addition to a detailed analysis of the regional stratigraphic record and of the lithological properties. The study indicates that (1) given the substantial amount of data, the distinction and characterisation of successive stages of heating and burial in the same area are feasible, and (2) the three thermal indicators (AFT, VR and biomarkers) yield internally consistent thermal histories, which supports the validity of the underlying kinetic algorithms and their applicability to natural basins. All data pertaining to burial and thermal evolution were integrated in a basin model, which provides constraints on the thickness of eroded sections and on heat flow over geologic time. Three stages of basin evolution occurred in northern Switzerland. The Permo‐Carboniferous strike–slip basin was characterised by high geothermal gradients (80–100°C km^?1) and maximum temperature up to 160°C. After the erosion of a few hundreds of metres in the Permian, the post‐orogenic, epicontinental Mesozoic basin developed in Central Europe, with subsidence triggered by several stages of rifting. Geothermal gradients in northern Switzerland during Cretaceous burial were relatively high (35–40°C km^?1), and maximum temperature typically reached 75°C (top middle Jurassic) to 100°C (base Mesozoic). At least in the early Cretaceous, a stage of increased heat flow is needed to explain the observed maturity level. After erosion of 600–700 m of Cretaceous and late Jurassic strata during the Paleocene, the wedge‐shaped Molasse Foreland Basin developed. Geothermal gradients were low at this time (≤20°C km^?1). Maximum temperature of Miocene burial exceeded that of Cretaceous burial in proximal parts (<35 km from the Alpine front), but was lower in more distal parts (>45 km). Thus, maximum temperature as well as maximum burial depth ever reached in Mesozoic strata occurred at different times in different regions. Since the Miocene, 750–1050 m were eroded, a process that still continues in the proximal parts of the basin. Current average geothermal gradients in the uppermost 2500 m are elevated (32–47°C km^?1). They are due to a Quaternary increase of heat flow, most probably triggered by limited advective heat transport along Paleozoic faults in the crystalline basement.     

The Characteristics and Formation of A High-Arctic Proglacial Icing

Well‐known from permafrost hydrology, icings (naled or Aufeis) are also frequently encountered at the margins of high‐latitude glaciers. The morphology of a proglacial icing at Scott Turnerbreen in the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard is described, and the process of formation is considered in detail. Ground thermal‐regime modelling indicates an equilibrium permafrost depth of at least 200 m in the studied catchment, and it appears unlikely that groundwater contributes to icing formation. Meltwater flow through ice‐marginal drainage channels is accompanied by estimated heat fluxes of up to about 190 W m^?2, suggesting that stored meltwater may continue to percolate through thawed sub‐channel sediments when surface runoff is absent during winter. A hydraulic conductivity of 6.9 × 10^?3 m s^?1 is implied, which is consistent with other studies of glacier drainage systems. The long residence time of winter‐draining meltwater, and solute rejection by refreezing water, account for high observed concentrations of solute in interstitial water in the icing. It has often been asserted that the presence of a proglacial icing indicates that a glacier is polythermal. However, as Scott Turnerbeen is entirely non‐temperate, the presence of an icing cannot always be treated as a reliable guide to the thermal regime of a glacier.