ABSTRACT
The thermal conductivity of salt is a factor of two to three times higher than that of typical sediments. Salt structures often display large vertical relief and so provide a path of low thermal resistance for the conduction of heat from depth to the surface. Shallow, present-day temperature anomalies are important for exploitation of geothermal energy. The focusing of heat influences the thermal gradient about 2 km laterally ahead of the salt nose. The maximum positive thermal anomaly is found above the salt stem and is about +16°C. When salt diapirs rise through, and past, sedimentary formations, the sediments will experience a temperature history different from sediments far from the salt. Similar differences occur for sediments around laterally moving salt sheets. Depending on the dimensions of a salt sheet and the speed with which a salt sheet moves, the sediments above and below the salt sheet will be exposed to anomalous temperatures for shorter or longer periods of time.
