First heat flow density determinations from Southeastern Zaïre (Central Africa)

Abstract

First heat flow density determinations from southeastern Zaïre are presented. Sites are located in the late Proterozoic metasedimentary cover of the Pan-African belt (600 Ma.). For each individual boreholes, heat flow ranges between 48 and 72 mWm⁻². The average value of 62 mW m⁻² for the sites is similar to that of 66 mW m⁻² observed in Zambia. Both values are higher than what is expected for Pan-African terranes. These heat flow determinations in Shaba province of southeastern Zaïre, together with gravity and seismological observations, support the hypothesis of lithospheric thinning for this area. As already suggested for Zambia, this lithospheric thinning may be associated with a southwestern extension of the East African Rift System from Tanganyika across the central African plateau.