Radiogenic Heat: Earth's Internal Heat Budget Is Fundamental To The

Earth's internal heat budget is fundamental to the thermal history of the Earth.
The flow of heat

from Earth's interior to the surface is estimated at 47±2 terawatts (TW)[1] and comes from two
main sources in roughly equal amounts: the radiogenic heat produced by the radioactive
decay of isotopes in the mantle and crust, and the primordial heat left over from the formation of
Earth.[2]
Earth's internal heat powers most geological processes[3] and drives plate tectonics.[2] Despite its
geological significance, this heat energy coming from Earth's interior is actually only 0.03%
of Earth's total energy budget at the surface, which is dominated by 173,000 TW of
incoming solar radiation.[4] The insolation that eventually, after reflection, reaches the surface
penetrates only several tens of centimeters on the daily cycle and only several tens of meters on
the annual cycle. This renders solar radiation minimally relevant for internal processes.[5]
Global data on heat-flow density are collected and compiled by the International Heat Flow
Commission of the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior.[6]
Estimates of the total heat flow from Earth's interior to surface span a range of 43 to 49 terawatts
(TW) (a terawatt is 1012 watts).[10] One recent estimate is 47 TW,[1] equivalent to an average heat
flux of 91.6 mW/m2, and is based on more than 38,000 measurements. The respective mean
heat flows of continental and oceanic crust are 70.9 and 105.4 mW/m2.[1]
While the total internal Earth heat flow to the surface is well constrained, the relative contribution
of the two main sources of Earth's heat, radiogenic and primordial heat, are highly uncertain
because their direct measurement is difficult. Chemical and physical models give estimated
ranges of 15–41 TW and 12–30 TW for radiogenic heat and primordial heat, respectively.[10]
The structure of Earth is a rigid outer crust that is composed of thicker continental crust and
thinner oceanic crust, solid but plastically flowing mantle, a liquid outer core, and a solid inner
core. The fluidity of a material is proportional to temperature; thus, the solid mantle can still flow
on long time scales, as a function of its temperature[2] and therefore as a function of the flow of
Earth's internal heat. The mantle convects in response to heat escaping from Earth's interior,
with hotter and more buoyant mantle rising and cooler, and therefore denser, mantle sinking.
This convective flow of the mantle drives the movement of Earth's lithospheric plates; thus, an
additional reservoir of heat in the lower mantle is critical for the operation of plate tectonics and
one possible source is an enrichment of radioactive elements in the lower mantle.[11]
Earth heat transport occurs by conduction, mantle convection, hydrothermal convection, and
volcanic advection.[12] Earth's internal heat flow to the surface is thought to be 80% due to mantle
convection, with the remaining heat mostly originating in the Earth's crust,[13] with about 1% due to
volcanic activity, earthquakes, and mountain building.[2] Thus, about 99% of Earth's internal heat
loss at the surface is by conduction through the crust, and mantle convection is the dominant
control on heat transport from deep within the Earth. Most of the heat flow from the thicker
continental crust is attributed to internal radiogenic sources; in contrast the thinner oceanic crust
has only 2% internal radiogenic heat.[2] The remaining heat flow at the surface would be due to
basal heating of the crust from mantle convection. Heat fluxes are negatively correlated with rock
age,[1] with the highest heat fluxes from the youngest rock at mid-ocean ridge spreading centers
(zones of mantle upwelling), as observed in the global map of Earth heat flow.[1]
Radiogenic heat[edit]
The evolution of Earth's radiogenic heat flow over time
The radioactive decay of elements in the Earth's mantle and crust results in production of
daughter isotopes and re

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Earth's internal heat budget is fundamental to the thermal history of the Earth.

The flow of heat

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