A GEOTHERMAL MODEL OF THE LITHOSPHERE IN THE BAIKAL RIFT ZONE WITH CONSIDERATION OF ADVECTIVE HEAT AND MASS TRANSPORT BY ENDOGENOUS FLUIDS

Abstract

The lithosphere of rift zones is characterized by high permeability. Therefore, discharge of endogenous fluids is confined to these zones. Additional heat transport related to their flux should be reflected in the joint losses of heat through the Earth’s surface and on the geotherm, i.e., distribution of temperature by depth. In a quantitative respect, this problem remains a bare spot in the geothermic studies of continental rifts including the Baikal Rift Zone (BRZ). In this paper, the first attempt is made to calculate the influence of fluid heat and mass (HM) transport through the lithosphere on the thermal field in this region.