Assessment of Surface Heat Flux and Deep Fluid Degassing in Fracture‐Dominated Geothermal Zones in Taxkorgan, Xinjiang, Western China

Abstract Understanding surface heat flux is essential for evaluating geothermal system dynamics and resource potential, particularly in tectonically active but non‐volcanic regions. This study presents the first integrated assessment of surface heat flux in three representative geothermal areas in Taxkorgan County, western China, including Taheman (THM), Liaoyangyuan (LYY) and Dabudar (DBD). Field measurements were conducted using a combination of soil temperature gradient analysis, water vapor flux estimation, soil CO2 flux measurement and the desiccant‐based CO2:H2O ratio determination method. Sequential Gaussian simulation of the geostatistical method was applied to mapping spatial distributions of heat flux and CO2 flux. The results show that the total surface heat fluxes of THM, DBD, and LYY are 68.6, 19.2, and 57.7 W·m−2, respectively, with CO2‐derived heat flux accounting for 51.8%–54.6% of the total, highlighting the dominance of gas‐phase convective heat release. THM exhibits the highest thermal output (1.3 MW), driven by deep volatile exsolution and enhanced fault permeability, characteristic of a fracture‐controlled geothermal reservoir. In contrast, LYY shows a high thermal gradient and dominant conductive heat flux, reflecting a shallow heat source. DBD displays the lowest heat flux, possibly representing a peripheral or capped thermal zone. These findings provide critical measured data and theoretical basis for the identified hybrid heat transport mechanisms and also offer broader implications for understanding tectonically controlled geothermal systems in continental collision orogenic belts.