The influence of glaciation on the basin temperature regime

The effect of glaciation on the temperature regime in a sedimentary basin has been estimated. Four modeling cases, representing glaciation with cold (permafrost) glaciers and temperate glaciers as well as non-glaciation, were undertaken. The thermal consequences of taking the glaciation into account can be significant. Subsurface temperatures during a cold (permafrost) glaciation were as much as 25°C lower than the subsurface temperatures in a non-glaciated case. Increased conductivities due to frozen pore water contributed significantly to the cooling of the subsurface. Given two cases of cold glaciation, the first with increased thermal conductivities due to freezing of pore water and the second with no effect of freezing, the first case results in up to 10°C lower subsurface temperatures than the second one. A temperate glacier with a temperature of 0°C at the ice/sediment boundary is, as expected, less significant compared to a cold glacier. In this case subsurface temperatures were up to 7°C lower than the subsurface temperatures in the non-glaciated case. Thus it is crucial to know which type of glacier is present at which time as well as the effect of frozen pore water on thermal conductivity in order to have a good estimation of subsurface temperatures in glaciated areas.