Heat flow at Spor Mountain, Jordan Valley, Bingham, and La Sal, Utah

Abstract

Geothermal gradients were obtained in drill holes in Utah at Spor Mountain, Enterprise, La Sal, Monticello, Bingham, and Jordan Valley. A heat flow of 3.0 ± 0.3 μcal/cm2 sec was found at Spor Mountain (39°43′N, 113°13′W). The flux at Jordan Valley (40°47.0′N, 112°04.3′W) is estimated to be 1.8 ± 0.6 μcal/cm2 sec. The revised heat flow at La Sal (38°14.3′N, 109° 16.3′W) on the Colorado Plateau is 1.5 ± 0.2 μcal/cm2 sec. The heat flow at Bingham (40°32′N, 112°09′W) is 2.3 ± 0.3 μcal/cm2 sec. On the basis of much of the heat flow data now available for the Colorado Plateau, including our revised values at La Sal, there appears to be less justification for defining the Colorado Plateau as a separate heat flow province with abnormally low heat flow.