Controls of Radiogenic Heat and Moho Geometry on the Thermal Setting of the Marche Region (Central Italy): An Analytical 3D Geothermal Model

Stefano Santini, Matteo Basilici, Chiara Invernizzi, Danica Jablonska, Stefano Mazzoli, Antonella Megna and Pietro Paolo Pierantoni
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Stefano Santini: Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate (DiSPeA), Università di Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Via Aurelio Saffi, 2, 61029 Urbino, Italy
Matteo Basilici: Scuola di Scienze e Tecnologie, Sezione di Geologia, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 7, 62032 Camerino, Italy
Chiara Invernizzi: Scuola di Scienze e Tecnologie, Sezione di Geologia, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 7, 62032 Camerino, Italy
Danica Jablonska: Scuola di Scienze e Tecnologie, Sezione di Geologia, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 7, 62032 Camerino, Italy
Stefano Mazzoli: Scuola di Scienze e Tecnologie, Sezione di Geologia, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 7, 62032 Camerino, Italy
Antonella Megna: Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Sezione di Sismologia e Tettonofisica, 00143 Rome, Italy
Pietro Paolo Pierantoni: Scuola di Scienze e Tecnologie, Sezione di Geologia, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 7, 62032 Camerino, Italy

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 20, 1-18

Abstract: Using published cross-sections and a series of geological constraints, a 3D geological model of an important area of the Adriatic sector of peninsular Italy—i.e., the Marche region—was developed. Then, an analytical procedure, taking into account the heat rising from the mantle and the radiogenic heat produced by the crust, was applied on the pre-built structural model, in order to obtain the 3D geothermal setting of the entire region. The results highlighted the key role played by the Moho geometry, particularly as a step of ~10 km occurs between the Adriatic Moho of the subducting plate to the west and the new Tyrrhenian Moho characterizing the back-arc area to the west. The comparison between our results and available borehole data suggests a good fit between the applied analytical methodology and published datasets. A visible anomaly is located at a specific site (i.e., the coastal town of Senigallia), where it may be envisaged that fluid circulation produced a local surface heat flow increase; this makes the Senigallia area a promising feature for the possible exploitation of geothermal systems.

Keywords: central Italy; heat flow; 3D thermal modelling; thermal structure; temperature profile (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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