New terrestrial heat flow map of Europe after regional paleoclimatic correction application

Abstract

Heat flow variations with depth in Europe can be explained by a model of surface temperature changes >10°C. New heat flow map of Europe is based on updated database of uncorrected heat flow values to which paleoclimatic correction is applied across the continent. Correction is depth dependent due to a diffusive thermal transfer of the surface temperature forcing of which glacial–interglacial history has the largest impact. It is obvious that large part of the uncorrected heat flow values in the existing heat flow databases from wells as shallow as few hundreds of meters is underestimated. This explains some very low uncorrected heat flow values 20–30 mW/m2 in the shields and shallow basin areas of the craton. Also, heat flow values in other areas including orogenic belts are likely underestimated. Based on the uncorrected and corrected heat flow maps using 5 km × 5 km grid, we have calculated average heat flow values (uncorrected heat flow: 56.0 mW/m2; SD 20.3 mW/m2 vs. corrected heat flow: 63.2 mW/m2; SD 19.6 m/Wm2) and heat loss for the continental part. Total heat loss is 928 E09 W for the uncorrected values versus corrected 1050 E09 W.