Heat flow and age of the Gulf of Oman

We present the results of twenty heat flow stations in the Gulf of Oman which are used to infer the first reliable age estimates for the basin. A mean surface heat flux of 42.6±3.6 mW m^?2 exhibits no significant regional variation. After correction for thick and rapidly deposited sediments this yields an age of 70 to 100 Ma according to oceanic thermal models. This age is also consistent with the sediment corrected basement depths of 5.5–6.0 km and with formation during the Cretaceous quiet zone. The latter can explain the absence of magnetic sea-floor spreading lineations. Heat flow measurements are also used to confirm the presence of gas hyrdate layers. The measured thermal gradient yields a depth for the solid to free gas phase transition which is the same as that deduced from “bright spots” seen on seismic reflection profiles.