Supplementary information to 'Radiogenic heat production of crystalline rocks in the Gonghe Basin Complex (Northeastern Qinghai-Tibet plateau, China)'
Description
The Gonghe Basin Complex (GBC), is a pull-apart basin located in the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibet plateau (Qinghai, China) displaying various geothermal features such as elevated geothermal gradients and hot springs, whose origin has not been conclusively determined so far. The adjacent mountain ranges and the basement are comprised of granitoidic rock, which, at sufficient depth and temperature, are suitable for deep enhanced geothermal systems. This study aims to investigate if the radiogenic heat production of these plutonic rocks is the heat source for the surface geothermal features.
Therefore, 30 newly sampled Triassic, Silurian, Ordovician and Devonian intrusive rocks were extracted from outcrops in the surroundings and within the GBC, of which one sample was retrieved from exploration well DR2 at c. 1800 m.
Samples were geochemically discriminated using the results of XRF measurements and radiogenic heat productions were subsequently calculated.
Additionally, analysis of 341 intrusive, 105 extrusive, 155 sedimentary and 76 metamorphic rocks of the Qinling-Qilianshan-Kunlunshan were comprised from literature and compared to the data sampled in the GBC.
As evidenced in the presented research, the radiogenic heat production measured in the GBC are within the highest calculated for the Qinling-Qilianshan-Kunlunshan. Although, radiogenic heat production rates in the GBC only range from < 1 µW m^-3 in tonalites to > 5 µW m^-3 in two-mica granites and syenogranites. Nonetheless, average heat productions analyzed do not evidence large intrusions of HHP (high heat producing) granitoids as source of the geothermal features in the GBC pull-apart basin.
Subject
Radiogenic Heat Production;Gonghe Basin Complex;Qinling-Qilianshan-Kunlunshan;Enhanced Geothermal Systems;Qinghai-Tibet plateauDFG subject classification
3.44-01 Mineralogie, Petrologie und Geochemie3.43-01 Physik des Erdkörpers
3.42-01 Geologie
URI
https://tudatalib.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de/handle/tudatalib/2420https://doi.org/10.25534/tudatalib-260
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