Effects of temperature-dependent material properties and radioactive heat production on simple basin subsidence models

The effects of applying laboratory-derived material parameters to simple thermal basin subsidence models are examined. The temperature-dependent properties of thermal conductivity, specific heat and the coefficient of thermal expansion are considered, as well as conductivity contrasts between the crust and mantle and lithosphere-scale radiogenic heat production. The effects of conductivity and radioactivity are complementary, and can be predicted from the way in which they influence the initial and final steady-state geothermal gradient. A convex-up initial gradient, such as is generated by the conductivity and radioactivity functions and is also assumed to be the case based on independent evidence, will lead to more initial subsidence than in a simple constant-parameter model. The final subsidence will also be greater in the modified model, due to the fact that the stretching event will result in a lithospheric column which is intrinsically cooler than in the pre-deformation case. Because the coefficient of thermal expansion rises with increasing temperature, including its temperature dependence will result in a model with substantially less initial subsidence than one with a constant value. When these parameters are combined into a single model, the initial subsidence is approximately 15–20% less than in the constant-parameter model if radioactivity is not included, and 10% less if it is, while the final subsidence is about 5% greater without radioactivity and 7–9% greater with radioactivity included. Depending on the magnitude of extension, these effects can translate into differences of tens to hundreds of meters when compared to the constant-parameter model.