Heterogeneous Crystalline Crust Controls the Shallow Thermal Field – A Case Study of Hessen (Germany)

We present a seismic- and 3D-gravity-constrained lithospheric-scale 3D structural model of Hessen that differentiates 7 sedimentary units, 5 Variscan upper crustal bodies, the lower crystalline crust and the lithospheric mantle. To predict the present- day subsurface temperatures, we solve the stead...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEnergy procedia Vol. 76; pp. 331 - 340
Main Authors Freymark, Jessica, Sippel, Judith, Scheck-Wenderoth, Magdalena, Bär, Kristian, Stiller, Manfred, Kracht, Matthias, Fritsche, Johann-Gerhard
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2015
Subjects
conductive thermal model
gravity modelling
structural model
Upper Rhine Graben
Variscan domains
Upper Rhine Graben
conductive thermal model
gravity modelling
Variscan domains
structural model
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Summary:We present a seismic- and 3D-gravity-constrained lithospheric-scale 3D structural model of Hessen that differentiates 7 sedimentary units, 5 Variscan upper crustal bodies, the lower crystalline crust and the lithospheric mantle. To predict the present- day subsurface temperatures, we solve the steady-state conductive heat equation by using a 3D FE method and assigning lithology-dependent thermal properties. We show that the thermal field is mainly controlled by the varying radiogenic heat production in the crystalline crust, which results in a colder NW and a warmer SE domain. Locally, this regional trend is superimposed by thermal blanketing of low-conductive sediments leading to higher temperatures.
ISSN:1876-6102
1876-6102
DOI:10.1016/j.egypro.2015.07.837