THERMAL HISTORY OF THE PERIPHERY OF THE JUNGGAR BASIN, NORTHWESTERN CHINA

Geochemical analyses of rock core samples show that the basin peripher y has experienced low thermal stress; present-day heat flows are in th e range of 25-35 mW/m2 and have not been significantly higher than the worldwide mean of approx. 63 mW/m2 since the mid-Permian. Present day heat flows were determined from corrected borehole temperatures and r ock thermal conductivities. Paleo-heat flows were determined by first- order reaction kinetic modeling of several geochemical paleothermomete rs (vitrinite reflectance, clay mineral diagenesis and relative propor tions of sterane and hopane biological marker diastereomers).