Statistical Analysis on the Thermal Conductivity of Rocks in the Republic of Korea

Abstract

A thermal property database has been constructed using web GIS for the republic of Korea. Thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity, volumetric heat capacity, density and porosity were measured on a collection of 1,560 rock samples in the laboratory. The sample spacing was generally 2 to 10 km with irregular distance. Basic statistics were calculated and classified into igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rock types. The number of samples and the minimum, maximum, mean, median and standard deviation of the thermal conductivity of the rocks were determined. The effects of thermal diffusivity, porosity and dry density on thermal conductivity were compared. The statistical analysis of thermal conductivity and other thermal properties is very useful in the practical utilization design of geothermal systems.