《3D topographic correction of the BSR heatfl ow and detection of focusedfl uidfl ow》.pdfVIP

APPLIED GEOPHYSICS, Vol.11, No.2 (June 2014), P. 197-206, 6 Figures. DOI: 10.1007/s11770-014-0429-1 3D topographic correction of the BSR heat fl ow and detection of focused fl uid fl ow* 1♦ 1 2 He Tao , Li Hong-Lin , and Zou Chang-Chun Abstract : The bottom-simulating refl ector (BSR) is a seismic indicator of the bottom of a gas hydrate stability zone. Its depth can be used to calculate the seafl oor surface heat fl ow. The calculated BSR heat fl ow variations include disturbances from two important factors: (1) seafloor topography, which focuses the heat flow over regions of concave topography and defocuses it over regions of convex topography, and (2) the focused warm fluid flow within the accretionary prism coming from depths deeper than BSR. The focused fluid fl ow can be detected if the contribution of the topography to the BSR heat fl ow is removed. However, the analytical equation cannot solve the topographic effect at complex seafloor regions. We prove that 3D finite element method can model the topographic effect on the regional background heat flow with high accuracy, which can then be used to correct the topographic effect and obtain the BSR heat flow under the condition of perfectly flat topography. By comparing the corrected BSR heat fl ow with the regional background heat fl ow, focused fl uid fl ow regions can be detected that are originally too small and cannot be detected using present-day equipment. This method was successfully applied to the mid- slope region of northern Cascadia subducting margin. The