Conductivity and Temperature Corrections in the Djeffara Basin (Tunisia): Impact of the Basin Heat Flow Reconstructions

Abstract

The heat flow (Q) of a sedimentary level depends on two basic parameters which are: temperature and thermal conductivity. However, so far in Tunisia, heat flow estimations are usually carried out based on temperature corrections only. This study tries to emphasize the effect of thermal conductivity variations on the thermal history of the Djeffara Basin, through the evaluation of its conductivity change following a high-resolution appraisal (5 m margin). The thermal flow, determined by the Fourier and the Bullard Plot methods, was estimated using the temperature corrections equation combined with the conductivity corrections based on porosity data. Consequently, we believe that a better reconstruction of the regional distribution of the thermal flow of the region in relation to its geodynamic evolution was achieved. The most realistic scenario compared to the geologic model shows an average heat flow equal to 82 mW/m², which is higher than the global average of about 64 mW/m².