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Correlation between surface heat flow and elevation and its geophysical implication
Author(s) -
Fukahata Yukitoshi,
Matsu'ura Mitsuhiro
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2000gl012653
Subject(s) - elevation (ballistics) , geothermal gradient , erosion , geology , flow (mathematics) , sedimentation , heat flow , thermal , geomorphology , geophysics , mechanics , meteorology , geometry , sediment , physics , mathematics
Surface heat flow gives direct information about geothermal gradient, but it is significantly affected by erosion and sedimentation. The rate of erosion (sedimentation) is generally in proportion to elevation. Following such an idea, first, we examined the relation between observed surface heat flow and elevation along each of three lines crossing the northernmost, northeastern and southwestern parts of Japan, and found a clear positive correlation between them. The good correlation indicates essential importance of the effects of erosion and sedimentation on surface heat flow. Next, assuming the linear dependence of erosion rates on elevation, we calculated the profiles of surface heat flow expected from the surface topography with a 2‐D thermal conduction model. The results of calculation well explain gross features of the observed heat flow profiles, but some systematic differences still remain. From these systematic differences we can extract unbiased information about thermal state at depth.