CHARACTERISTICS AND GENESIS OF GEOTHERM IN THE CENTRAL BASIN OF SOUTH CHINA SEA

The 70 heat flow data collected from the Central Basin of South China Sea reveals that it is a high heat flow region with an average value of 89.9 mW/m². The average heat flow is 96.6mW/m² in the southwest subbasin, but 86 mW/m² in the east subbasin. It means that the southwest subbasin is "hotter" than the east subbasin. It is believed that the high heat flow value is an indication of lithospheric stretching and thinning in addition to the occurrence of shallow high conductivity layer in earth crust. Faulting and magmatic activities might be the main reasons for the high local heat flow anomaly. The distribution pattern of the high heat flow is not only a useful tool to estimate the oceanic crust age and expansion period, but also an effect mean for study of structural features and sedimentary environment.