Heat flow measurements on the Lomonosov Ridge, Arctic Ocean

Abstract

Heat flow was measured on the Lomonosov Ridge during the 5th Chinese National Arctic Expedition in 2012. To derive the time-temperature curve, resistivity data were transformed to temperature by the resistivitytemperature program. Direct reading and linear regression methods were used to calculate the equilibrium temperature, which were regressed against the depth of the probes in sediment to derive the geothermal gradient. Then, heat flow was calculated as the product of geothermal gradient and thermal conductivity of sediments. The heat flow values on the basis of the two methods were similar (i.e., 67.27 mW/m2 and 63.99 mW/m2, respectively). The results are consistent with the measurements carried out at adjacent sites. The age of the Lomonosov Ridge predicted by the heat flow-age model was 62 Ma, which is in accordance with the inference that the ridge was separated from Eurasia at about 60 Ma.