Northern Pakistan has many hot springs, but the lack of direct measurements leaves the temperatures deep beneath these mountains poorly constrained. Using computer models, we show that heat from naturally radioactive rocks and the upward movement of hot crust can produce unusually high underground temperatures, especially beneath steep valleys. Our results identify deep valleys in the Nanga Parbat and Karakoram regions as promising areas for future geothermal exploration.

A workflow for sampling hard rock cores for microbiological research was developed and optimized during International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 399. These procedures and protocols were adapted from previous expeditions and further optimized for handling large numbers of hard rock samples. The workflow is also intended to facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations so as to maximize the scientific value of each sample for the whole scientific team.