Can opal-A/opal-CT BSR be an indicator of the thermal structure of the Yamato Basin, Japan Sea

Abstract

One of the important results of the Japan Sea drilling by ODP is the detection of an opal-A/opal-CT transformation at all the drill sites. The transformation of opal-A to opal-CT is closely correlated with temperature and age of host rock in the Japan Sea. The temperatures at opal-A/opal-CT boundary were estimated from seismic profiles. The estimated BSR heat flow showed significant agreement with individual probe heat flow data. This method can provide large areal estimates of the surface heat flow. The opal-A/opal-CT BSR can contribute to defining the thermal structure of the Yamato Basin, Japan Sea. -from Authors