12 Guaymas Basin and Gulf of California Subsurface Systems and Energy Applications

This session will present subsurface research in the Gulf of California, especially IODP Expedition 385 to Guaymas Basin that explored the linkages between tectonics, magmatism, sedimentation, hydrothermalism, carbon cycling, and microbial life. Merged sessions: Subsurface Research  in Guaymas Basin and the Gulf of California and Energy Resources and Economic Development in Baja California: Fossil, Renewable, and Transition Minerals.

Wednesday, 22 April 2026
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
LMH, Isla Carmen

Assessing geothermal potential in the northern Gulf of California using data-driven heat flow modeling

Paper number: 12-13
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 4:30 PM – 4:50 PM

Authors

Abstract

The thermal structure of the northern Gulf of California remains poorly constrained due to the sparse and uneven distribution of offshore heat-flow measurements. Here, we present a regional-scale model of submarine heat flow using a data-driven approach that integrates geological and geophysical proxies to infer its spatial distribution.

The predicted heat-flow field reveals three previously unresolved thermally anomalous regions in areas lacking direct measurements, indicating that the present-day rift system is more heterogeneous than suggested by the existing in situ data alone. These anomalies define structurally controlled domains with elevated geothermal potential, consistent with the presence of fault-guided convective systems. Our results provide new constraints on the coupling between deformation style and thermal structure in the northern Gulf of California and highlight the relevance of data-driven heat-flow models for identifying offshore geothermal prospects in data-limited rifted margins.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 3

doi: 10.1130/abs/2026CD-410948

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