Heat flow variations in a deep borehole near Sept-Iles, Quebec, Canada: Paleoclimatic interpretation and implications for regional heat flow estimates

A deep (> 2000m) borehole in the Sept-lies intrusion, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River, in Quebec, Canada, was repeatedly logged for tem perature. Systematic variations of the temperature gradient with depth are not correlated with the thermal conductivity. We interpreted the temperatur e profile as follows: (1) During the last glacial maximum, the temperature at the base of the ice sheet was cold (approximate to -5 degrees C); (2) When the region was belo w sea level, between 10 and 5ky B.P., the ground surface temperature was wa rm (approximate to 6 degrees C); (3) The average ground surface temperature dropped to approximate to 2 degrees C at 5ky B.P. when the region rebounde d above sea level; (4) The long time averaged ground surface temperature be fore the last glacial maximum was approximate to 0 - 1 degrees C; (5) The r eference heat flow (36 - 37mW m(-2)) is 4 - 5mW m(-2) higher than estimated from the upper 1000m bf the heat flow profile. This interpretation can not be extrapolated to the entire region covered by the Laurentide ice sheet. Except for extremely deep (> 1500m) boreholes, t he small uncertainty (< 15%) affecting heat flow estimates can not be elimi nated.