Topics include; sources of heat within the crust; how to maximise the accuracy of temperature data; measurement of the thermal properties of rocks; maturity indicators; and thermodynamic models of the lithosphere and how these can be used to reconstruct the thermal history of individual sedimentary basins.
Preface; Part I. The Thermal State of the Earth: 1. Terrestrial heat; 2. Heat generation; Part II. Measurement Techniques: 3. Thermal gradient; 4. Thermal conductivity; 5. Thermal maturity; Part III. Modeling Techniques: 6. Heat flow; 7. Lithospheric models; 8. Numerical modeling; 9. Unraveling the thermal history of sedimentary basins; References.
'There is a great deal which can be learned from this book. With its emphasis on sound physics and quantitative examples, the approach or philosophy is admirable and comes across clearly.' Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists ' ! useful to all geoscientists interested in thermal data.' EOS 'Thermal models of sedimentary basins provide a critical framework to understanding their evolution and the maturation of organic material. ! the book succeeds in its stated goal of making links between the underlying physical principles, data collection, and the use of sophisticated basin analysis models. At the same time it provides additional insight into thermal problems not limited to thermal basin analysis. ! I will refer to this book often.' Geological Magazine