An analytical model for the geotherm in the Basilicata oil fields area (southern Italy)

Antonella Megna (*), Stefania Candela (**), Stefano Mazzoli (***) & Stefano Santini (**)
(*) Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Sezione di Sismologia e Tettonofisica, via di Vigna Murata, 605 - 00143 Roma, Italy. Corresponding author: Antonella Megna, phone (+39)0651860480, fax (+39)0651060507, antonella.megna@ingv.it (**) Dipartimento di Scienze di Base e Fondamenti (DiSBeF), Università di Urbino, Via Santa Chiara, 27 - 61029 Urbino, Italy. (***) Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell’Ambiente e delle Risorse (DiSTAR), Università di Napoli Federico II, Largo San Marcellino, 10 - 80138 Napoli, Italy.

A geothermal model for the area of the Basilicata oil fields has been obtained by an analytical procedure. The model takes into account both the temperature variation due to the re-equilibrated conductive state after thrusting and frictional heating. Input parameters include heat flow density data and a series of geologically derived constraints – thrust depth, timing of thrusting, slip rate – obtained by the integration of surface and subsurface datasets. For the top 5 km of the crust, the resulting geothermal curve shows a remarkably good fit with temperatures recorded from deep oil wells. The new geotherm provides a fundamental constraint for rheological and stress accumulation modelling in the seismically active study area. Furthermore, the analytical solution provided in this study may be used as a basis to calculate the relevant geotherm for further areas and/or tectonic settings.

Val d’Agri area, heat flow density, frictional heating, thermal modelling, temperature profile.