Heat flow estimates offshore Haiti in the Caribbean plate

Abstract

Heat‐flow in the Caribbean is poorly known and generally low in the major basins and the Greater Antilles arc, but with some high values in active zones, like in the Cayman trough or in the Lesser Antilles Arc. Here we present new heat‐flow data for offshore Haiti, which is part of the Greater Antilles arc. We obtain new heat‐flow estimates from in situ measurements and Bottom Simulating Reflector (BSR). Both methods suggest a regionally low heat‐flow, respectively 46 ± 7 and 44 ± 12 mW/m2, with locally high values exceeding 80 mW/m2. The high heat‐flow values are generally located near faults, and could be related to fluid circulations. Our study confirms a low heat‐flow pattern at the scale of the Caribbean but points out the existence of local‐scale variability with high heat‐flow along the northern faults of the Caribbean region.

Haiti-Drill: an amphibious drilling project workshop

“…This seepage activity may significantly modify the thermal regime of the onshore fault segments. Offshore Haiti, heat flow measurements collected during the Haiti-SIS cruise provided constraints on the regional conductive heat flow (Rolandone et al, 2020). In that study, heat flow estimates from in situ measurements and bottom-simulating reflector depth suggest a regionally low heat flow in the western Hispaniola region, respectively 46±7 and 44±12 mW m −2 , with locally high values exceeding 80 mW m −2 .…”

“…In the western part of this region the geological setting is strongly controlled by two strike-slip fault systems (Burke et al, 1978). These crustal-scale seismogenic fault systems bound a spreading center and oceanic lithosphere (Rosencrantz and Mann, 1991) and also transect and displace lithosphere affected by arc volcanism and flood basalts (Mann and Burke, 1984).…”