Abstract
Abstract The empirical relations of the thermal properties (thermal conductivity, heat capacity, specific heat, and thermal diffusivity) to the porosity and mineral composition of clay and sandy sediments recovered in the eastern flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge are examined using the observed thermal properties, index properties, and mineral composition of the sediments. Observed thermal conductivity-porosity relations are explained using the geometric mean model. The observed relations of heat capacity and specific heat, respectively, to porosity are given by the arithmetic mean formula. A new model for the sediment thermal diffusivity-porosity relation is proposed based on models of thermal conductivity and heat capacity. This model, expressed by the geometric mean model with a correction function for the porosity and heat capacities of grain sediment and pore-filling fluid, explains the observed thermal diffusivity-porosity relations. These thermal property models are applicable to thermal properties of other sediment lithology types and are useful as standard models for estimating the thermal properties of marine sediment.
Highlights
Thermal properties of earth materials are important parameters for modeling the thermal structure and transport of heat and fluid under the ground
Based on a comparison between observed and calculated thermal diffusivities and heat capacities at Site U1301, the estimation errors are within approximately 8%. 2.2 Vertical distribution of thermal properties of sediments at Site U1301 For this study, we newly estimate the specific heat of the sediments at Site U1301 from heat capacity estimated by Goto and Matsubayashi (2008) and bulk density measured by Expedition 301 Scientists (2005) for these three lithological categories in cases where the following two criteria are satisfied: the measurement location of the index properties must be within 30 cm of the location of the measurement of thermal conductivity, and the sediments in the interval must belong to the same lithological category
We examined the characteristics of four thermal properties—thermal conductivity, heat capacity, specific heat, and thermal diffusivity—for sediments recovered at Site U1301 in the eastern flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge
Summary
A new model for the sediment thermal diffusivity-porosity relation is proposed based on models of thermal conductivity and heat capacity. This model, expressed by the geometric mean model with a correction function for the porosity and heat capacities of grain sediment and pore-filling fluid, explains the observed thermal diffusivity-porosity relations. These thermal property models are applicable to thermal properties of other sediment lithology types and are useful as standard models for estimating the thermal properties of marine sediment
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