Research on the characteristics and influencing factors of terrestrial heat flow in Guizhou Province

Terrestrial heat flow is an important physical parameter in the study of heat transfer and thermal structure of the earth and it has great significance in the genesis and development and utilization potential of regional geothermal resources. Although several breakthroughs in geothermal exploration have been made in Guizhou Province. The terrestrial heat flow in this area has not been properly measured, restricting the development of geothermal resources in the province. For this reason, the terrestrial heat flow in Guizhou was measured in this study, during which the characteristics of heat flow were determined using borehole thermometry, geothermal monitoring and thermal property testing. Moreover, the influencing factors of the terrestrial heat flow were analyzed. The results show that the thermal conductivity of rocks ranges from 2.0 W/(m·K) to 5.0 W/(m·K), with an average of 3.399 W/(m·K); the heat flow varies from 30.27 mW/m² to 157.55 mW/m², with an average of 65.26 ± 20.93 mW/m², which is slightly higher than that of the average heat flow in entire land area in China. The heat flow in Guizhou generally follows a dumbbell-shaped distribution, with high values present in the east and west and low values occurring in the north and south. The terrestrial heat flow is related to the burial depths of the Moho and Curie surface. The basaltic eruptions in the Emeishan led to a thinner lithosphere, thicker crust and lateral emplacement, which dominated the basic pattern of heat flow distribution in Guizhou. In addition, the dichotomous structure of regional active faults and concealed deep faults jointly control the heat transfer channels and thus influence the terrestrial heat flow.