This point shapefile contains heat flow data for the North Pacific Ocean compiled from sources dating from 1956 to 2010. Heat flow is a measure of heat loss across the surface of the Earth and is useful for modeling recent tectonic activity, transport of heat by groundwater, variations in concentrations of the radiogenic elements U, Th and K, glacial dynamics, and recent changes in climate. See attibute table and supplemental documentation for more detail. Global heat flow data are maintained by the International Heat Flow Commission (IHFC) of the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior (IASPEI).