| Title | Crustal heat flow mapping in Rio de Janeiro, SE Brazil, using boreholes: implications for geothermal resources |
|---|---|
| Authors | F.C. AGUIAR, S.N.P GUIMARAES, F.P VIEIRA |
| Year | 2025 |
| Conference | LATAM Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | geothermal energy, heat flow, mapping of isotherms, Rio de Janeiro |
| Abstract | The results of geothermal investigations carried out in the State of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil, have been compiled with the aim of producing regional distribution maps of terrestrial heat flow and measuring the lithospheric geoenergetic storage capacity and temperature distribution at depth in the region. The compilation included 42 direct temperature measurements in shallow wells (up to 200 m), typically used for groundwater exploration. The entire state was covered, prioritizing windows of 0.5x0.5 degrees of latitude/longitude. The methodology combined direct temperature measurements with modelling of the heat conduction equation, isolating the deep geothermal flow from surface climatic perturbations. The heat flow, calculated from the geothermal gradient and thermal conductivity data, shows values between 55 and 75 mW/m2, with peaks of 90 mW/m2 observed in the southern region and associated with crystalline rocks. In the central region, lower fluxes (27–55 mW/m²) correlate |