To what extent do hydrothermal systems disturb the temperature field of the Molasse Basin?

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Christoph von Hagke; Dr. Elco Luijendijk
• Subject Area: Palaeontology
• Term: from 2016 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 330306906

Low-temperature thermochronology is a key tool to quantify the burial and exhumation history of orogens and their foreland basins. However, current interpretations of thermochronological datasets in foreland basins may frequently be biased because thermal effects of groundwater flow are not taken into account. We propose to study the imprint of an active hydrothermal system on temperatures and thermochronometers in the northern foreland basin of the Alps, the Molasse Basin. We propose to quantify the influence of hydrothermal activity on the thermochronological signal by collecting high density low-temperature thermochronology data around a hydrothermal system that feeds two hot springs. Combining this new dataset with inverse thermal models will provide information on the age and duration of hydrothermal activity. The results will yield the first empirical test of the imprint of an active hydrothermal system on thermochronometers in a foreland basin. If a strong imprint is found, this implies that existing interpretations of thermochronometers in foreland basins that host hydrothermal activity may have to be revised. The results also have implications for geothermal energy; high temperature zones around hydrothermal systems form favorable targets for the exploration of geothermal energy, and thus their longevity must be better understood.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants