With the exception of values from one borehole drilled at Palm Spring and three boreholes drilled around Saline Valley dry lake, eight new heat-flow values in Saline Valley, California, are within or somewhat below the range one would expect for this region of the Basin and Range heat-flow province. The lack of recent volcanism in the area and the apparently normal Basin and Range heat flow suggest that geothermal systems within the valley are stable stationary phases supported by high regional heat flow and forced convection.

California↗

USGS1976

Heat flow near Charleston, South Carolina

As part of a study of the geology and geophysics of the Charleston, South Carolina, area, thermal conductivity, thermal gradient, and heat flow were determined in a 742 meter, continuously cored, test hole. The hole is located 41 km west-northwest of Charleston near Clubhouse Corners, Figure 1, directly over a gravity and magnetic high and the possible hypocenter of the 1889 Charleston earthquake. Drilling began January 13, 1975, and the hole penetrated 750 meters of Cenozoic and Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks finally bottoming in 42 meters of amygdaloidal basalts. Core recovery was 70% in sedimentary formations and 100% in the basalts. Detailed systematic studies of the core and the area surrounding the borehole were presented at the Symposium: Geology and Geophysics of Charleston, South Carolina, Area, held at the annual meeting of the Northeastern and Southeastern sections of the Geological Society of America during the week of March 25-27, 1976. Results from the thermal study are summarized in this report.

South Carolina↗

USGS1976

Heat flow and near-surface radioactivity in the Australian continental crust

Heat-flow data have been obtained at 44 sites in various parts of Australia. These include seven sites from the old (~ 2500 m.y.) Precambrian shield of Western Australia, seventeen from the younger (~ 600- 2000 m.y.) Precambrian rocks of South Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland, and twenty within the eastern Paleozoic and younger rocks. Thirty of the sites are located where no previous heat-flow data existed, and the remainder provide significant extensions or refinements of areas previously studied. Where the holes studied penetrated the crystalline basement rocks, or where the latter rocks were exposed within a few kilometers of the holes, the upper crustal radiogenic heat production has been estimated based on gamma-ray spectrometric determinations of U, Th, and K abundances. Three heat-flow provinces are recognized in Australia based on the linear relation (q = q* + DA 0 ) between heat flow q and surface radioactivity A 0 . New data from the Western Australian shield support earlier studies showing that heat flow is low to normal with values ranging from 0.7 to 1.2 hfu and with the majority of values less than 1.0 hfu, and the parameters q* = 0.63 hfu and 0 = 4.5 km determined previously were confirmed. Heat flow in the Proterozoic shield of central Australia is quite variable, with values ranging between about l and 3 hfu. This variability is attributed mainly to variations in near-surface crustal radioactivity. The parameters of the heat-flow line are q* = 0.64 hfu and 0 = 11.1 km and moderately high temperatures are predicted for the lower crust and upper mantle. Previous suggestions of a band of l ow- to - normal heat flow near the coast in eastern Australia were confirmed in some areas, but the zone is interrupted in at least one region (the Sydney Basin), where heat flow is about 2.0 hfu over a large area. The reduced heat flow, q*, in the Paleozoic intrusive rocks of eastern Australia varies from about 0.8 to 2.0 hfu . This variability might be related to thermal transients associated with Late Tertiary and younger volcanic and tectonic activity, even though the relation between heat-flow values and the age of volcanism is not a simple one. Parts of the high heat-flow area in the southeast might be exploitable for geothermal energy.

Open-File Report↗

USGS1975

Abundances of uranium, thorium and potassium from some plutonic rocks in northern Washington

No abstract available.

Washington↗

USGS1975

Abundances of uranium, thorium, and potassium for some Australian crystalline rocks

This report contains a tabulation of the basic radioelement and radiogenic heat data obtained during an Australian National University (ANU) - United States Geological Survey (USGS) heat-flow project, directed jointly by J. C. Jaeger (ANU) and J. H. Sass (USGS). Most samples were collected during the periods June through September, 1971 and 1972. The measurements were made subsequently by two of us (C. M. Bunker and C. A. Bush) using the gamma-ray spec trometric techniques described by Bunker and Bush (1966, 1967). Interpreting the spectra for quantitative analyses of the radioelements was accomplished with an iterative leastsquares computer program modified from one by Schonfeld (1966). Uranium content determined by gamma-ray spectrometry is based on a measurement of the daughter products of 226 Ra. Equilibrium in the uranium-decay series was assumed for these analyses . Throughout the report, when U content is stated, radium-equivalent uranium is implied. The coefficient of variation for the accuracy of the radioelement data, when compared to ana lyses by isotope dilution and flame photometry is about 3 percent for radium-equivalent uranium and thorium and about 1 percent for potassium. These percentages are in addition to minimum standard deviations of about 0.05 ppm for U and Th, and about 0.03 percent for K.

Open-File Report↗

USGS1975

Basic data for some recent Australian heat-flow measurements

This report has been compiled to provide background information and detailed temperature and thermal conductivity data for the heat-flow values reported in Sass, Jaeger, and Munroe (in press). The data were collected as part of a joint heat-flow study by the Australian National University (ANU) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) under the direction of J. C. Jaeger (ANU) and J. H. Sass (USGS). The format is similar to that used for basic data from United States heat-flow determinations (Sass and Munroe, 1974). Each section contains a state map showing the geographic distribution of heat-flow data followed by tables which list individual temperatures, thermal conductivities, and radiogenic heat production values. A companion volume (Bunker and others, 1975) gives details of the heat-production measurements together with individual radioelement concentrations. Localities are arranged in alphabetical order within each state. The methods and techniques of measurements have been described by Sass and others (1971a, b). Unusual methods or procedures which differ markedly from these techniques are noted and described in the comments sections of the tables.

Open-File Report↗

USGS1974

Thermal data from heat-flow test wells near Long Valley, California

As part of the Geological Survey's study of the Long Valley area, an attempt was made to define the regional thermal setting of the caldera. The first phase of this study involved the drilling of four holes in granitic rocks outside of the caldera and two holes within it (Figure 1). LV was drilled as a hydrologic test well. In Figure 1, the light areas are areas of crystalline rocks and the stippled area, volcanic and sedimentary rocks. (For an explanation of the symbols, see Plate 1 of Bateman and others (1963).) Preliminary temperature measurements and thermal conductivity determinations have been completed and are presented in this report. Also presented herein are data obtained in November 1973 from the shallow holes drilled by Lewis (1974) and some thermal conductivity values from these short holes. These preliminary data are being released now because of intense public interest. The study is continuing, and an interpretive report will be written later this year. The temperature measurements are presented in both graphs and tables. Thermal conductivity data are tabulated as a function of depth for each hole. For locations of the shallow test wells, reference should be made to the quadrangle maps shown in Figures 3 through 13 of Lewis (1974).

California↗

USGS1974

Basic heat-flow data from the United States

It has been impossible to document fully in source papers, the large number of heat-flow results from the United States that have been published in recent years. The basic data of the major American research groups active in heat flow are tabulated in this report. Quantities tabulated include temperature, thermal conductivity, density, heat production, and terrain data for individual boreholes. The tables were prepared by the authors of the original papers and include what the authors believe to be pertinent information about each borehole.

Open-File Report↗

USGS1973

Temperature gradients in Harney County, Oregon

No abstract available.

Oregon↗

USGS1968

Temperature data from exploratory boreholes at the Supplemental Test Site, central Nevada - interim report

In cooperation with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, the U.S. Geological Survey is making precise temperature measurements in exploratory boreholes at the Supplemental Test Site, central Nevada. Together with thermal properties measurements made on the core, and additional temperature measurements in progress these data will he used to estimate geothermal flu: from the area. The purpose of this interim report is to make our preliminary temperature measurements available to other interested groups. The locations of the sites are shown on figure 1, and data pertinent to the state of disequilibrium at the time of measurement are tabulated in table 1. In the geothermal profiles (figs. 2 through 13) the temperature is given in decrees centigrade and the depth (Z) in meters.

Nevada↗