IMIS - Marine Research Groups | Compendium Coast and Sea

IMIS - Marine Research Groups

[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page

Lake Issyk-Kul (Tien Shan): Unusually low heat flow in an active intermontane basin
Vermeesch, P.; Poort, J.; Duchkov, A. D. ; Klerkx, J.; De Batist, M. (2004). Lake Issyk-Kul (Tien Shan): Unusually low heat flow in an active intermontane basin. Geol. geofiz. (Novosib.) 45(5): 616-625
In: Геология и Геофизика = Geologiya I Geofizika. Nauka, Sibirskoe otdelenie: Novosibirsk. ISSN 0016-7886, more

Available in  Authors 

Author keywords
    Heat flow geothermal gradients geodynamical models Lake Issyk Kul’ Tien Shan Kyrghyzstan

Authors  Top 
  • Vermeesch, P.
  • Poort, J., more
  • Duchkov, A. D.
  • Klerkx, J.
  • De Batist, M., more

Abstract
    New geothermal data are presented for Lake Issyk Kul’, a mountain lake in the northern Tien Shan, Central Asia. With 40 successful measurements done, the average heat flow is 48.3 mW/m2. This is 10 to 20 mW/m2 lower than estimates from previous surveys. Data from boreholes on the shores of the lake revealed an average heat flow of 54 mW/m2. All these values are remarkably low for an actively deforming area such as the Tien Shan. Two qualitative geodynamical models are suggested to explain these observations. If there is crustal thickening beneath Issyk Kul’, the low heat flow can only be explained in a transient mode, with “sawtooth geotherm”. In equilibrium conditions, low heat flow implies that there is little or no crustal thickening under the basin. This feature could be the result of lithospheric folding, as may occur throughout Central Asia.

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors