Heat-flow measurements in the east Pacific Ocean

Abstract

Sixty-five new measurements of heat flow have been made in the east Pacific Ocean by using a multiprobe thermograd to measure temperature gradients in the ocean sediment. Large variations of heat flux were found, as in earlier work. A broad maximum of heat flow of about 3 μcal/cm2 sec was found over the east Pacific rise at 10°N, and three peaks of high heat flow of 3.3, 3.5, and 7.1 μcal/cm2 sec were measured over the rise at 17°S. Another area of high heat flow extending from the east Pacific rise to the Gulf of Panama is suggested by the data. With two exceptions, temperatures measured at three points in the sediment showed the heat flow to be constant with depth. A comparison of measurements in part of the North American basin with values in the eastern Pacific suggests that different processes are taking place in the floors of the two areas.