Heat Flow in the Asian Continent and Surrounding Areas

Abstract

Heat flow is a key parameter to describe the interior heat of the Earth and provides constraints on understanding the thermal structure of lithosphere and assessment of the geothermal resource potential. Based on the latest heat flow database, here we present the heat flow pattern of the Asian continent and its surrounding areas and discuss the correlation between heat flow and tectonics. The mean heat flow of Asian continent and its surrounding areas is 71 ± 34 mW/m², slightly higher than the global continental mean value, and the overall heat flow pattern in Asia exhibits remarkable heterogeneity, characterized by higher values in the eastern marginal seas, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, while lower in large areas of North Asia and Central Asia. Cratons show a lower mean heat flow and smaller standard deviation, indicating the tectonic stability. The Cenozoic rifts, marginal seas and the Neo-Tethyan Tectonic Domain all exhibit higher heat flow. The geothermal pattern in Asia is controlled by the geodynamic processes of the subduction of Pacific Plate, the Indo-Asia continental collision and the break-up between Arabia and Africa.