Compilation of heat flow data in the continental area of China (4th edition)

Terrestrial heat flow provides a direct surface indication of the thermal state within the Earth. It is a crucial parameter to reveal the lithospheric thermal structure, geodynamic processes and to evaluate the potential of geothermal resources. Measurements and compilations of heat flow data are considered as a fundamental work for geothermal study. Heat flow data in continental China have been published in three editions and the total number has reached 862 in 2001. Since then, no more compilation has been accomplished in the last 15 years. Upon the 3rd edition, 368 new heat flow data have been compiled in this paper as the 4th edition. We gathered 345 newly published data during 2002 to 2016, together with 23 newly measured heat flow values in the blank areas e.g. the hinter land of the Tibetan Plateau, Changbai Mountain etc. In this updated heat flow data set (4th edition), the total number of data has reached 1230 and the data categories for A, B, C and D account for 49.3%, 34.2%, 12.6% and 3.9%, respectively. The heat flow values range from 30 to 140 mW . m(-2) with a mean of 60.4 +/- 12.3 mW . m(-2) excluded the data for category D. Based on the new data base, we updated the geographic distribution of heat flow sites in the continental area of China, which manifests significantly improvement on the coverage and the inhomogeneity of heat flows patial distribution. The overall heat flow pattern of in the continental area of China is featured as in the eastern and southwestern areas while low in the central and northwestern parts. Affected by the far-field effect of the westward subduction of the pacific plate, the eastern high heat flow province extends from southeastern China to Songliao Basin and Changbai Mountain. Mainly controlled by the collision between the India Plate and the Eurasia Plate, the southwestern high heat flow province shows a belt distribution in the Yarlung-Zangbo Suture Zone in E-W direction and rift zones in S-N direction, meanwhile the values decreased from the south to the north. The central China, with relative week tectonic activities since Cenozoic, is a low-medium heat flow province.