Role of radiogenic heat generation in surface heat flow formation

Abstract

Heat generation due to decay of long-lived radioactive isotopes is considered in the Earth’s crust of the Archean–Proterozoic and Paleozoic provinces of Eurasia and North America. The heat flow that forms in the mantle is calculated as the difference between the heat flow observed at the boundary of the solid Earth and radiogenic heat flow produced in the crust. The heat regime in regions with anomalously high radiogenic heat generation is discussed. The relationship between various heat flow components in the Precambrian and Phanerozoic provinces has been comparatively analyzed, and the role of erosion of the surfaceheat- generating layer has been estimated.