Paleo-heat flow evolution of the Tabei Uplift in Tarim Basin, northwest China

Abstract The paleo-heat flow evolution of the Tabei Uplift in the Tarim Basin is investigated based on burial and thermal history reconstruction of 14 wells and using basin modeling. Numerous geological parameters, such as, temperature data and missing sediment thickness by erosion were used in the modeling. The basin model was calibrated using 460 measured vitrinite reflectance (% VR o ) and vitrinite-like maceral reflectance (% VLMR o ) values to constrain the validity of the maturity model. The heat flow history of the Tabei Uplift, Tarim Basin shows the following characteristics: (1) the highest paleo-heat flow was predicted to have occurred in the Early Ordovician as 65 ± 5 mW/m 2 , and gradually decreased to 55 ± 5 mW/m 2 during the Late Carboniferous; (2) a thermal kick was modeled to have occurred in the Permian as suggested by an abrupt rise in the heat flow; (3) the heat flow gradually decreased since the Triassic; (4) the present day heat flow was predicted to be as low as 38 mW/m 2 . This heat flow history honors the geologic and tectonic evolution history of the Tabei Uplift and is suggested as the best case heat flow model.