Distribution Modeling of Thermal Field Parameters in the Polish Eastern Carpathians Based on Geophysical Data

Abstract

Scarce information on thermal parameters of a geological medium in eastern Polish Carpathians together with irregularly spaced and distant properly tested wells, impede construction of credible maps of thermal field distribution. Statistical methods of geometrical interpolation (e.g. kriging) seem to be insufficient for that purpose. Therefore it is advantageous to apply computer modelling using those geological medium properties which modify the geothermal field distribution. The paper presents an attempt to apply into interpolation the correlation relationships that exist between those parameters and seismic, gravity, and geoelectric data. The correlation relationships between temperature and gravity anomalies and resistivities was analysed with the use of grid-based interpolation or the set of parameters established for wells and their neighbourhood. The correlation relationships were calculated for average temperatures at different depth and heat flow in relation to residual and regional gravity anomalies and resistivities obtained from magnetotelluric sounding data interpretation. The dependencies between the parameters are shown in a tabular form as linear correlation coefficients. Based on the established regression equations, we constructed alternative maps of average temperature distribution at selected depths. The established correlation relationships between seismic P-wave velocity and thermal conductivity in sedimentary rocks made it possible to construct 3D/2D models of thermal conductivity of the sedimentary crust rocks based on velocity distribution from the tomographic inversion for PreSDM. The developed approach of constructing thermal maps is a proposal that needs further studies.