Stratigraphy modeling and thermal conductivity computation in areas characterized by Quaternary sediments

• Maps of thermal conductivity are required for low enthalpy geothermics.
• Often information comes from heterogeneous and sparse well log data.
• A method aimed at thermal conductivity computation on a regular grid is proposed.
• Besides thermal conductivity, the procedure provides a stratigraphy model.
• The implementation of the method is applied to data from Apulia region (Italy).

A feasibility plan for the exploitation of low enthalpy geothermal resources at regional scale requires a map of the ground thermal conductivity. Available information often comes from heterogeneous well log data related to boreholes drilled for various purposes (e.g. irrigation) and whose spatial distribution is suboptimal. Therefore, a suitable interpolation technique is necessary. An approach based on local evaluation of the mode of distribution of the subsoil geological species is proposed here. It provides a stratigraphy model, the equivalent ground thermal conductivity and the corresponding statistical/geometrical significance in the nodes of a regular grid. Besides a validation with synthetic data of the MATLAB/GNU Octave implementation of the method (GRIDWELL toolbox), the results of its application to the data from Apulia's plain areas are shown here.