Abstract
Based on available borehole temperature logs and the thermal conductivity determination of core samples in northeastern Sichuan Basin, 12 estimated terrestrial heat flow values are presented. The results show that the present-day geothermal gradients range from 18 to 25°C/km, with an average of 21°C/km, and that the paleo-heat flow varies from 41 to 57mW/m2, with a mean of 49mW/m2, which is much lower than the average value in the continental area of China. Thermal history reconstruction in northeastern Sichuan Basin using vitrinite reflectance data indicates that the maximum paleo-heat flow (62~70mW/m2) was reached at ~255Ma, and then decreased to the present, which is quite different from the Bohai Bay basin, eastern North China. The maximum erosion occurred on the Mesozoic-Cenozoic unconformity and reached as much as ~2100m. The abnormal high pressure in the area was formed under geotemperature background characterized by low paleo-heat flow.
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