Determining the circulation depth of thermal springs in the southern Rocky Mountain Trench, south-eastern British Columbia, Canada using geothermometry and borehole temperature logs

Geochemical data for thermal spring waters along the southern Rocky Mountain Trench in British Columbia, Canada were examined. The range of equilibration temperatures for the thermal springs is between 24 and 59°C, assuming that there is minimal mixing with colder shallow waters that might lead to a lowering of the calculated equilibration temperature. The chalcedony geothermometer is found to be the most appropriate given the carbonate host rocks. Temperature logs from 11 boreholes in the vicinity were used to calculate representative geothermal gradients, which range from 23.8 to 55.7°C/km with an average of 24.8±8.0°C/km. Using the average gradient and the range of equilibration temperatures calculated for each spring, the minimum range for the depth of origin of the thermal waters is 0.9–2.2 km. Heat flow values range from 90.3 to 155 mW/m², with an average of 109.1±21.0 mW/m². The moderate to high heat flow and heat generation result in generally higher temperatures at shallow depths, thus offering an explanation for the occurrence of thermal springs. The alignment of the thermal springs likely relates to the preferred northwest–southeast orientation for major thrust faults along the Rocky Mountain Trench, and with waters routed from depth along deep faults.

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Resumen Se examinan datos geoquímicos de aguas de fuentes termales a lo largo de la Trinchera sur de las Montañas Rocosas en Columbia Británica, Canadá. El rango de temperaturas de equilibrio para las fuentes termales se encuentra entre 24 y 59°C, asumiendo que existe mezcla mínima con aguas someras más frías que podrían conducir a un descenso de la temperatura de equilibrio calculada. El geotermómetro de calcedonia se ha encontrado que es el más apropiado debido a las rocas encajonantes carbonatadas. Se utilizaron los registros de temperatura de 11 pozos de la zona para calcular gradientes geotermales representativos, los cuales varían de 23.8 a 55.7°C/km con un promedio de 24.8±8.0°C/km. Utilizando el gradiente promedio y el rango de temperaturas de equilibrio calculadas para cada manantial, se estimó que el rango mínimo para la profundidad de origen de las aguas termales varía de 0.9 a 2.2 km. Los valores de flujo de calor varían de 90.3 a 155 mW/m², con un promedio de 109.1±21.0 mW/m². El flujo de calor moderado a alto y la generación de calor resultan en temperaturas generalmente más altas a profundidades someras ofreciendo de este modo una explicación para la ocurrencia de fuentes termales. El alineamiento de fuentes termales posiblemente se relaciona con la orientación preferida noroeste-sureste de fallas inversas principales a lo largo de la Trinchera de las Montañas Rocosas, y con aguas ascendentes profundas que se mueven a lo largo de fallas profundas.

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Résumé Les données géothermiques de sources thermales le long de la partie sud du fossé des Montagnes Rocheuses en Colombie Britannique, Canada, sont étudiées. Léchelle des températures déquilibre des sources thermales se situe entre 24 et 59°C, en assumant quil y a un mélange minimum avec les eaux froides de surface, ce qui conduit à une sous-évaluation de la température déquilibre. La calcédoine apparaît être le géothermomètre le plus approprié vu les roches hôtes carbonatées. Les diagraphies de température provenant de 11 forages proches ont été utilisées pour calculer le gradient géothermique représentatif, gradient compris entre 23.8 et 55.7°/km avec une moyenne de 24.8°/km. En utilisant le gradient moyen et les valeurs de température déquilibre calculées pour chaque source, la profondeur minimum des eaux thermales se situerait entre 0.9 et 2.2 km. Les flux de chaleur sont évalués entre 90.3 et 155 mW/m, avec une moyenne de 109.1±21.0 mW/m. Le transfert moyen de chaleur et la génération de chaleur résulte en températures ordinairement plus élevées aux faibles profondeurs, qui ainsi offre une explication à loccurrence de sources thermales. Les alignements de sources thermales sont vraisemblablement en relation avec lorientation Nord-Sud des principales failles-vraies le long du fossé des Montagnes Rocheuses, et avec lécoulement des eaux des profondeurs le long des failles.

     

Simulation of landslide run-out by considering frictional heating and thermal pressurization

Some of the remarkable characteristics of natural landslides, such as surprisingly long travel distances and high velocities, have been attributed to the mechanisms of frictional heating and thermal pressurization. In this work, this mechanism is combined with a depth-averaged model to simulate the long runout of landslides in the condition of deformation. Some important factors that influence frictional heating and thermal pressurization within the shear zone are further considered, including velocity profile and pressurization coefficient. In order to solve the coupled equations, a combined computational method based on the finite volume method and quadratic upwind interpolation for convective kinematics scheme is proposed. Several numerical tests are performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the computational scheme, the influence of thermal pressurization on landslide run-out, and the potential of the model to simulate an actual landslide.     

Seismic velocity structure of a large mafic intrusion in the crust of central Denmark from project ESTRID

The origin of regional sedimentary basins is being investigated by the ESTRID project (Explosion Seismic Transects around a Rift In Denmark). This project investigates the mechanisms of the formation of wide, regional basins and their interrelation to previous rifting processes in the Danish–Norwegian Basin in the North Sea region. In May 2004 a 143 km long refraction seismic profile was acquired along the strike direction of a suspected major mafic intrusion in the crust in central Denmark. The data confirms the presence of a body with high seismic velocity (> 6.5 km/s) extending from a depth of  10–12 km depth into the lower crust. There is a remarkable Moho relief between 27 and 34 km depth along this new along-strike profile as based on ray-tracing modelling of PmP reflections. The lack of PmP reflections at a zone of very high velocity in the lowest crust (7.3–7.5 km/s) suggests a possible location of a feeder channel to the batholith. The presence of volcanic rocks of Carboniferous–Permian age above the intrusion (mafic batholith) suggests a similar age of the intrusion. An older obliquely crossing profile and two new fan profiles deployed perpendicular to the main ESTRID profile, show that the batholith is about 30–40 km wide. The existence of this large mafic batholith supports the hypothesis that the origin of the Danish–Norwegian Basin is related to cooling and contraction after intrusion of large amounts of mafic melts into the crust during the late Carboniferous and early Permian. The data and interpretations from project ESTRID will form the basis for subsidence modelling. Tentatively, we interpret the formation of the Danish–Norwegian Basin as a thermal subsidence basin, which developed after widespread rifting of the region.     

Daily activity and thermoregulation in predator-prey interaction during the Flowering Desert in Chile

We studied how features of thermal resources affect the patterns of activity of predator (Callopistes maculatus) and its prey (Gyriosomus batesi and Gyriosomus subrugatus) during the phenomenon of the Flowering Desert in Chile. We predict that restrictions or variations in temperature affect mainly the activity of insects, and that this variation in the activity of insects affects the patterns of activity of the predator. The daily activity of the three species was bimodal, but both prey species disappear when temperatures exceed 40 °C. According to our results, the prey are thermoconformers to air and substrate temperature, whereas the predator is a thermoregulator to environmental conditions by their independence of air and substrate temperature.     

温棚太阳池模拟实验研究

对温棚太阳池进行小型实验模拟,通过开展活动式温棚太阳池、固定式温棚太阳池和普通太阳池3个平行模拟实验,得到温棚结合太阳池的升温蓄热结果。实验结果表明,活动式温棚太阳池的升温能力较好,固定式温棚的恒温能力较好。温棚结合太阳池,能够减小环境对太阳池的扰动,延长太阳池在冬季的运行时间,提高太阳池的升温能力和蓄热稳定性,使太阳池更适合于盐湖生产工艺的实际需要。     

The present-day thermal state of Mars

The present-day thermal state of the martian interior is a very important issue for understanding the internal evolution of the planet. Here, in order to obtain an improved upper limit for the heat flow at the north polar region, we use the lower limit of the effective elastic thickness of the lithosphere loaded by the north polar cap, crustal heat-producing elements (HPE) abundances based on martian geochemistry, and a temperature-dependent thermal conductivity for the upper mantle. We also perform similar calculations for the south polar region, although uncertainties in lithospheric flexure make the results less robust. Our results show that the present-day surface and sublithospheric heat flows cannot be higher than 19 and 12 mW m⁻², respectively, in the north polar region, and similar values might be representative of the south polar region (although with a somewhat higher surface heat flow due to the radioactive contribution from a thicker crust). These values, if representative of martian averages, do not necessarily imply sub-chondritic HPE bulk abundances for Mars (as previously suggested), since (1) chondritic composition models produce a present-day total heat power equivalent to an average surface heat flow of 14-22 mW m⁻² and (2) some convective models obtain similar heat flows for the present time. Regions of low heat flow may even have existed during the last billions of years, in accordance with several surface heat flow estimates of ∼20 mW m⁻² or less for terrains loaded during Hesperian or Amazonian times. On the other hand, there are some evidences suggesting the current existence of regions of enhanced heat flow, and therefore average heat flows could be higher than those obtained for the north (and maybe the south) polar region.     

热应力对内含裂隙恐龙化石的影响研究

为深入研究热应力对内含裂隙的恐龙化石的影响,该文模拟10℃,20℃,30℃,40℃,50℃及60℃六种不同温差情形,通过ABAQUS数值模拟软件,揭示地表温度与日照照射在化石表面的温度形成的温差对恐龙化石的影响机制。试验结果表明:在不同温差作用下,热应力的分布主要集中在恐龙化石裂隙的右上角位置,而右下角则没有出现明显的热应力,热应力分布出现不均匀现象,容易诱发恐龙化石开裂,加快风化速度。热应力值随着温差的增大而呈近似线性关系增大。在同一温差、不同轴压条件下,热应力值的增长率呈下降趋势,最大增长率为93.54%,形成于温差为10℃、轴压由0.04MPa变为0.12MPa阶段;热应力值最小增长率为17.46%,形成于温差为60℃、轴压由0.12MPa变为0.20MPa阶段。开裂角随着温差变大而增大,在温差为40℃时,开裂角达51.5°最大值;当温差继续增大时,开裂角呈减小趋势。恐龙化石的极限载荷随着温差的增大而呈下降趋势。其中,温差为10℃时,其极限载荷为最大值2.5MPa,而当温差为60℃时,其极限载荷为最小值1.5MPa。     

Theoretical aspects and interpretation of thermal measurements concerning the subsurface investigation of a cometary nucleus

Part of the lander payload for the comet rendezvous mission Rosetta is the thermal probe multi-purpose sensors for surface and subsurface science (MUPUS). In this paper, we discuss the relationship of the expected MUPUS data to structural and textural parameters of the near-surface layers of the cometary nucleus. Such properties could be crucial parameters concerning the formation and evolution of the nucleus. Thus, we calculate the thermal conductivity of a porous material in terms of microstructural parameters, using a geometrical model with a solid matrix, a surrounding pore space and a distinct contact area between different particles. We include the possibility that a significant amount of heat may be transported by pore filling vapour in addition to heat conducted via the matrix. Furthermore, we consider that the heat is transmitted through only a fraction of the grains and these are organized into a chain-like structure. These chains—and not the single grains—should be regarded as the basic unit of structure. Applying our model to measured thermal conductivities of porous water ice, we interpret the material in terms of microparameters and estimate the effective size of the contact area and the effective pore radius. The results are in good agreement with our knowledge of the prepared samples. Contrary, we can also show that popular models used in cometary research do not fit with laboratory data at all.     

Thermal pollution causes global warming

Over longer time-scales there is no net heat inflow to Earth since incoming solar energy is re-emitted at exactly the same rate. To maintain Earth's thermal equilibrium, however, there must be a net outflow equal to the geothermal heat flow. Performed calculations show that the net heat outflow in 1880 was equal to the geothermal heat flow, which is the only natural net heat source on Earth. Since then, heat dissipation from the global use of nonrenewable energy sources has resulted in additional net heating. In, e.g. Sweden, which is a sparsely populated country, this net heating is about three times greater than the geothermal heat flow. Such thermal pollution contributes to global warming until the global temperature has reached a level where this heat is also emitted to space. Heat dissipation from the global use of fossil fuels and nuclear power is the main source of thermal pollution. Here, it was found that one third of current thermal pollution is emitted to space and that a further global temperature increase of 1.8 °C is required until Earth is again in thermal equilibrium.     

Layering and double-diffusion style convection in Europa's ocean

We assess the effects of fluid composition and depth-dependent hydrostatic pressure on dynamics in a europan ocean primarily composed of aqueous Na₂SO₄ and MgSO₄, for both a saturated and a dilute ocean. We observe a salinity- and pressure-dependent check on buoyancy in putative upwellings, which could act as a mechanism for storing heat in the ocean's base. Uptake of salt to a warmed parcel of water from the seafloor environment causes upwellings to lose buoyancy before reaching the base of the overlying ice, implying a tendency toward ocean stratification. We make an analogy to double-diffusive convecting systems observed in the Red Sea and elsewhere in Earth's waters. Using currently understood parameterizations for onset and stability, we estimate a range of temperatures and salinities for which double-diffusive convection may occur in Europa's ocean. In the Red Sea, boundary layers separating convecting zones have been observed to move upward as the lower layer acquires heat and salt. We examine the possibility of stratification and double-diffusive convection as mechanisms for heat storage in Europa's ocean, and possible correlation with recently inferred changes in ice surface alteration style over the last 30-80 Myr.