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The results of thermal property measurements on cores from the scientific well Yaxcopoil-1 (1511 m in depth) drilled in the Chicxulub impact structure (Mexico) are described. The thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, volumetric heat capacity, thermal anisotropy coefficient, thermal heterogeneity factor, and, in addition, porosity and density were measured on 451 dry and water-saturated cores from the depth interval of 404-1511 m. The acoustic velocities were determined on a subgroup of representative samples. Significant vertical short- and long-scale variations of physical properties related to the grade of shock-thermal metamorphism and correlations between thermal and other physical properties are established. Rocks of the post-impact and impact complexes differ significantly in heterogeneity demonstrating that the impact complex has larger micro- heterogeneity on sample scale. The pre-impact rocks differ essentially from the impact and post-impact rocks in the thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, density and porosity. The thermal anisotropy of rocks of all structural-lithological complexes is very low ( K = 1.02 ... 1.08), which is similar to the situation in the Puchezh-Katunk and Ries impact structures. Correlations are established between the thermal conductivity and elastic wave velocities measured in laboratory. For limestone-calcarenites, the thermal conductivity (λ) can be calculated from the compressional wave velocity ( V) using the formula λ= 0.346 V + 0.844, and for dolomite-anhydrites this relation has the form λ= 0.998 V + 1.163 [for λ in W (m K) and V in km s]. These correlations are used for downscaling of the sonic velocities to the decimetre scale. The effective medium theory is applied to invert the matrix thermal conductivity and pore/crack geometry from the thermal conductivity measured on the studied samples. Representative experimental data on the thermal properties for all lithological groups encountered by the Yaxcopoil-1 well essentially extend an existing database on the thermal properties of rocks of impact structures and can be used for determination of the heat flow density, interpretation of temperature logging data, theoretical modelling of heat and mass transfer processes and constructing thermal models of the Chicxulub impact structure as well as for the lithological interpretation. The research results confirm the necessity of dense sampling for the thermal property measurements to obtain reliable results in petrophysical and geothermal investigations of impact structure formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal conductivity of soils is a fundamental parameter for the design of ground-source heat pump systems (GSHPs) and energy geostructures. This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the physical, mineralogical, and thermal characteristics of typical coastal soils from Tabasco, Mexico. Twenty-five soil samples from four different strata were studied using the thermal needle probe method, X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and standard geotechnical soil classification tests. The results showed a significant correlation between the dry density and porosity with the thermal conductivity of the studied samples, which ranged between 1.17 and 2.32 W m−1 K−1. The performed statistical analyses indicated that coarse-grained soils had larger thermal conductivities and higher variability than fine-grained soils. Additionally, the performance of six models to estimate the thermal conductivity of soils was validated against the experimental data. All models provided accurate estimations for fine-grained soils, but only the effective medium theory (EMT) showed an adequate fit for coarse-grained soils. The results represent one of the first datasets for the thermal properties of Mexican soils. They will contribute to the implementation of GSHPs and energy geostructures in the country and locations with similar subsoil conditions, especially where time and resources are not available for their experimental determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]