Unveiling the Global Heat Flow Database (GHFDB): A New Era for Geothermal Research and Subsurface Thermal Mapping
World Geothermal Congress 2026, Calgary, Kanada, 7 - 11 Haziran 2026, ss.1-11, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
- Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
- Basıldığı Şehir: Calgary
- Basıldığı Ülke: Kanada
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-11
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
After five years of coordinated international collaboration, the International Heat Flow Commission, together with Task Force VIII of the International Lithosphere Program, presents the first fully quality-controlled and authenticated Global Heat Flow Database (GHFDB). This milestone marks a transformative leap in the availability and reliability of global heat-flow data, critical inputs for geothermal exploration, resource assessment, and lithospheric modeling. The GHFDB integrates information from over 2,100 documents spanning the period from 1939 to 2025, employing standardized data formats, rigorous quality-assessment procedures, and consistent metadata structures. The result is a robust and traceable dataset that significantly enhances confidence in estimates of heat-flow density, thermal conductivity, and geothermal gradients, along with their associated metadata. For the first time, the scientific community and the geothermal industry have access to an open, globally harmonized, quality-scored database of surface heat flow density, comprising more than 130,000 data entries from approximately 79,000 locations across continental (56%) and marine (43%) settings. The GHFDB combines 85 years of scientific work, achieving high data densities in regions such as Europe, East Asia, Australia, and North America, while highlighting data gaps in polar regions, many African countries, and broad marine areas.This presentation outlines the framework and methodology underpinning the development of the IHFC Global Heat Flow Database, demonstrates key applications in geothermal resource characterization, and highlights opportunities for integration with other geoscientific data infrastructures. The GHFDB establishes a new benchmark for geothermal data quality and accessibility. We invite researchers, industry professionals, and data providers to explore this resource and contribute to shaping the next phase of global geothermal and geodynamic research.