The thermal structure of Israel

Abstract. Heat flux at the Arabian Shield is a significant component in reconstructing tectonic, seismic, and hydrologic models. In this paper we analyze temperature data from all the available oil and water wells in Israel. We show that the average heat flux in Israel is 40–45 mW m⁻². A supporting evidence for the low heat flux is the relatively deep seismicity, extending almost to the mantle in the region. A Heat flux anomaly that exists in Northern Israel and Jordan could be attributed to groundwater flow or young magmatic activity (~100 000 years) that is common in this area. Xenoliths that yield relatively steep geothermal gradients could be the result of local heating by magmas or by lithospheric necking and shear heating. The higher Heat flux in Southern Israel and Jordan probably reflects the opening of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Eilat and does not reflect the average value of the Arabian Shield.