Thermal Structure of Lithosphere in North China

Abstract

Abstract The thermal structures of lithosphere in North China(105° E – 124°E, 30° N – 41°N) were calculated using two kinds of average heat flow on 1° × 1° Latitude‐Longitude grid combining with four heat production models which were obtained from observed heat production and from the inversion of Curie depth distribution. By comparison and analysing the thermal structures obtained from different models, the most reasonable model was obtained. The temperature at Moho‐discontinuity is about from 450°C to 750°C. The thickness of thermal lithophere is from 60km to 180km. It is found that big fault systems are related to thiner part of the lithosphere and the earthquakes of M S > 6.5 occurred near the area of thiner part of the lithosphere and the area in which the temperature of the Moho‐discontinuity is higher.