At the 28th IUGG General Assembly, the IHFC organized:
Conveners: Ben Norden (Germany, IAVCEI), Ivone Jimenez Munt (Spain, IASPEI), Sukanta Roy (India, IASPEI)
Description Until the 1950s, terrestrial heat flow was only documented in a few specific areas of the globe. Due to the importance of heat flow determinations in characterizing the Earth’s energy budget, geodynamic processes, and its role in geothermal energy exploration, the need for extensive heat-flow measurements and mapping became clear. Since 1963, the International Heat Flow Commission of IASPEI has been advising on the acquisition of heat-flow data through temperature-depth measurements and thermal properties of rocks in a variety of geologic environments and tectonic regimes. This effort has led to significant advances in heat flow studies that have positively influenced many disciplines, e.g. seismology, magnetism, volcanology, geodynamics, and hydrogeology. It is now widely recognized that understanding the mechanisms of heat transfer in continental and oceanic regions is crucial for better appreciation of the thermal structure of the lithosphere. For example, the depth distribution of earthquakes can be related to the brittle-ductile boundary which is thermally controlled. In polar regions heat flow can exert a key influence on ice-sheet temperature, ice rheology, basal melting, and the consequent mechanical decoupling at the ice-bedrock interface. Other contemporary topics that thermal studies address include climate change, permafrost thawing, and mineral resource evaluation. This symposium marks the 60th anniversary of the International Heat Flow Commission with the goal of highlighting the accomplishments of heat-flow studies, as well as the technological advances in borehole and rock thermo-physical measurements, and their relationship to a wide range of geodynamic processes related to the thermal state. We welcome contributions that describe the results of experimental and theoretical works of any geoscientific discipline and the symposium is designed to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas, methods, and concepts centered on the thermal aspects of the Earth’s interior.
Monday, 17 Jul 2023, 09:45 - 10:00
Monday, 17 Jul 2023, 10:30 - 12:00
Monday, 17 Jul 2023, 13:30 - 13:45
Monday, 17 Jul 2023, 15:30 - 17:00
The first edition of the Heat Flow Summer was held in Potsdam in July 2023. The topic was focused on heat flow determination and interpretation. The summer school was partly funded by the IUGG, Project Inner Space, DFG (German Science Foundation) and ILP (International Lithospheric Program) Task Force VI and organized by the GFZ (German Research Centre for Geosciences). The summer school was planned to provide comprehensive training on heat-flow determination and evaluation to early-career scientists and young researchers. It also encouraged students to focus on this topic in their future careers. The Summer school was successfully attended by 24 students from Europe, Asia, and America. The students were selected among 40 applicants from 30 countries. Graeme Beardsmore (University of Melbourne), Juan Contreras and Raquel Negrete-Aranda (CICESE, Ensenada Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education), Massimo Verdoya (University of Genova), Florian Neumann and Ben Norden (GFZ-Potsdam) lectured. The summer school was followed by a two-day workshop on the heat flow in Antarctica (July 08–09) and a two-day workshop on the heat flow in Africa, South- and Central America (July 10–11).
During the 28th General Assembly of the IUGG in Berlin an IHFC (International Heat Flow Commission) business meeting was held on July 17, 2023. See the minutes here.
Group photo of the new members of the International Heat Flow Commission after the election on 17th of July 2023. The new chairwoman Raquel Negrete-Aranda (Cicese, Mexiko) in first row, second person from left. (Photo: Ronald Spelz)