Heat Flow in the Aegean Sea

Heat flow measurements taken in the Aegean Sea indicate a high heat flow in the northern and central Aegean. Nine stations at which a linear thermal gradient was measured give a mean value of 2.08 HFU. Four stations in the southern Aegean at which the gradient was non-linear gave limits to the heat flow in this area of between 1.0 and 1.6 HFU. Two high values in the north are associated with a deep bathymetric feature and intense magnetic anomalies. The high heat flow in the Aegean Sea is considered to be due to underthrusting of oceanic crust similar to that which occurs in the marginal basins of the north-west Pacific.