Heat flow–heat production relationship not found: what drives heat flow variability of the Western Canadian foreland basin?

Abstract

Heat flow high −80 ± 10 mW/m2 in the northern western parts of the Western Canadian foreland basin is in large contrast to low heat flow to the south and east (50 ± 7 mW/m2) of the same basin with the same old 2E09 year’s Precambrian basement and some 200-km-thick lithosphere. Over-thrusted and flat-laying sedimentary units are heated from below by heat flow from the old craton’ crust and low 15 ± 5 mW/m2 mantle contribution. The heat flow vs. radiogenic heat production statistical relationship is not found for this area. To account for this large heat flow contrast and to have 200-km-thick lithosphere, we would need to assume that high heat production layer of the upper crust varies in thickness as much as factor of 2 and/or that the measured heat production at top of Precambrian basement is not representative for deeper rocks. The other explanation proposed before that heat in the basin is redistributed by the regional fluid flow systems driven from high hydraulic head areas close to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains toward low elevation areas to the east and north cannot be explained by observed low Darcy fluid velocities and the geometry of the basin.