Thermal Conductivity Measurements in Relation to the Geothermal Exploration of the Gorleben Salt Dome

Abstract

The investigations of the suitability of the Gorleben salt dome for permanent storage of heat-generating radioactive waste include thermal conductivity measurements on core samples from shallow and deep boreholes drilled for site exploration. The thermal conductivity data, together with temperature data from the exploration boreholes, serve as basic input for model calculations of heat dissipation and thermomechanical processes associated with high-level waste disposal in a salt dome. In addition, the geothermal data are relevant to the hydrogeological and geological exploration of the salt dome area. Results of thermal conductivity measurements on rock salt and associated structures are presented in this paper. Thermal conductivity data obtained from the laboratory measurements on the core material are compared with high-precision temperature gradient logs from the exploration boreholes.