Heat flow measurements in the Northern Mozambique Channel

Heat flow in the Northern Mozambique Channel is poorly constrained, with only a few old measurements indicating relatively low values of 55–\(62~\text{mW/m}^2\). During the SISMAORE cruise to the Northern Mozambique Channel, we obtained new heat flow measurements at four sites, using sediment corers...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inComptes rendus. Geoscience Vol. 354; no. S2; pp. 35 - 46
Main Authors Rolandone, Frédérique, Poort, Jeffrey, Masquelet, Charles, Leroy, Sylvie, Thinon, Isabelle, Lemoine, Anne, Paquet, Fabien
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Paris Académie des Sciences. Institut de France 01.01.2022
Académie des sciences (Paris)
Académie des sciences
Subjects
2018–2021 Mayotte eruption
Comoros archipelago
Continental crust
Corers
Earth Sciences
Flow measurement
Fluctuations
Heat conductivity
Heat flow
Jurassic
Lithosphere
Northern Mozambique Channel
Oceanic lithosphere
Sciences of the Universe
Sediments
Submarine volcanoes
Volcanism
Volcanoes
Lithosphère océanique
Canal du Mozambique
2018–2021 Mayotte eruption
Flux de chaleur
Oceanic lithosphere
Heat flow
Comoros archipelago
Volcanisme
2018–2021 crise volcanique deMayotte
Archipel des Comores
Volcanism
Northern Mozambique Channel
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Summary:Heat flow in the Northern Mozambique Channel is poorly constrained, with only a few old measurements indicating relatively low values of 55–\(62~\text{mW/m}^2\). During the SISMAORE cruise to the Northern Mozambique Channel, we obtained new heat flow measurements at four sites, using sediment corers equipped with thermal probes. Three of the sites yield values of 42–47 \(\text{mW/m}^2\), confirming low regional heat flow in this area. Our values are consistent with a Jurassic oceanic lithosphere around Mayotte, although the presence of very thin continental crust or continental fragments could also explain the observed heat flow. Our values do not support a regional thermal anomaly and so do not favor a hotspot model for Mayotte. However, at a fourth site located 30 km east of the submarine volcano that appeared in 2018 east of Mayotte, we measured a very high heat flow value of \(235~\text{mW/m}^2\), which we relate to the circulation of hot fluids linked to recent magmatic activity.
ISSN:1778-7025
1631-0713
1778-7025
DOI:10.5802/crgeos.130