Heat flow in the Altai-Sayan Area: new data

Eleven new estimates of heat flow (q) from the southern Altai-Sayan Folded Area (ASFA) have provided update to the heat flow map of Gorny Altai. Measured heat flow in the area varies from 33 to 90 mW/m2, with abnormal values of >70 mW/mq at four sites. The anomalies may have a deep source only at the Aryskan site in the East Sayan (q = 77 mW/m2) while high heat flows of 75–90 mW/m2 obtained for the Mesozoic Belokurikha and Kalguty plutons appear rather to result from high radiogenic heat production in granite, which adds a 25–30 W/m2 radiogenic component to a deep component of 50–60 mW/m2. The latter value is consistent with heat flow estimates derived from helium isotope ratios (54 mW/m2 in both plutons). Heat flow variations at other sites are in the range from 33 to 60 mW/m2. The new data support the earlier inferences of a generally low heat flow over most of ASFA (average of 45–50 mW/m2) and of a “cold” Cenozoic orogeny in the area (except for southeastern ASFA), possibly driven by shear stresses associated with India indentation into Eurasia.