A global collaborative project for the Global Thermal Rock Property Database
- Our vision: Establishing a quality-controlled and internationally standardized Global Thermal Rock Property Database (GTRPD)
- Collaborative and voluntary: Combining data, methodological expertise, and regional knowledge for global benefit
- Global community: Scientists, laboratories, geological surveys, research institutions, and industry are invited to contribute
- Current phase: Development of standards, metadata requirements, quality and applicability criteria, and pilot compilation
- 77+ scientists from 32 countries already support this project
What is the task?
The Global Thermal Property Compilation Project is a long-term, voluntary and collaborative initiative of the International Heat Flow Commission (IHFC) to establish the Global Thermal Rock Property Database (GTRPD).
hermal rock property measurements are widely distributed across scientific publications, reports, institutional datasets, and laboratory archives. They differ substantially with respect to measurement method, experimental conditions, sample characterization, metadata completeness, uncertainty reporting, and geological representativeness. Before these data can be consistently compiled and applied in lithospheric thermal modelling, geothermal applications, or subsurface temperature prediction, common standards for their description and assessment are required.
The project therefore follows three main steps:
- Standardization: development of a common database structure, terminology, metadata requirements, and quality and applicability framework;
- Assessment and compilation: systematic screening of existing publications and datasets, extraction of thermal property measurements and metadata, independent review, traceable correction where required, and identification of data gaps;
- Classification and integration: development of a lithology-based reference framework that allows thermal property measurements to be interpreted, statistically consolidated, and applied in regional and global thermal models.
The project builds directly on the experience gained through the international revision and quality assessment of the IHFC Global Heat Flow Database, where development of a standardized database structure, metadata framework, and quality concept preceded systematic global assessment and compilation.
Who we are!
The Global Thermal Property Compilation Project is initiated and coordinated by the members of the IHFC as a long-term community activity supporting the development and maintenance of the Global Thermal Rock Property Database.
From 2026 to 2030, the international standardization and compilation activities are supported by the International Lithosphere Program (ILP; funded by IUGG and IUGS) Task Force 2026-TF8 “Lithospheric Thermal Properties – Data Standardization and Compilation Project.” The Task Force supports the IHFC in coordinating the international community, developing standards, organizing technical workshops, and initiating the systematic assessment and compilation of existing data. The GTRPD itself is a long-term IHFC data product and is intended to be maintained and further developed beyond the duration of the ILP Task Force.
ILP Task Force Leaders:
All ILP Task Force Leaders can be contacted in terms of the assessment project. Each one of the six is managing the revision of publications from a different region. To get support with the publications you are revising, please, contact the person in charge of the region of your specific interest:
Sven Fuchs (IHFC profile)
Ilmo Kukkonen
Graeme Beardsmore (IHFC profile)
The project is developed in close interaction with the IHFC Working Group on Thermal Properties and the wider international heat-flow, geothermal, thermal petrophysics, geochemistry, and lithosphere research communities.
Contributors (18 December 2025th) - now: 135 The project is kicked-off with the commitment of 77 scientists in 2026.What you can contribute?
There are several ways to participate in the project. Contributions may include:
- providing existing published datasets or datasets suitable for public release;
- identifying relevant publications or data collections;
- screening scientific literature;
- extracting measurements and associated metadata;
- independently reviewing compiled records;
- contributing expertise on measurement methods and experimental conditions;
- developing metadata and quality-assessment standards;
- contributing to lithological classification and terminology;
- participating in laboratory and interlaboratory comparison activities;
- identifying regional, lithological, or methodological data gaps;
- supporting software, database, or FAIR-data development;
- contributing through the IHFC Heat Flow Fellowship Programme.
Participation can range from contributing individual publications or datasets to sustained involvement in one of the project’s scientific work streams. Researchers at all career stages are welcome to participate.
What is your benefit?
The project provides an opportunity to contribute directly to an international reference resource for the heat-flow, geothermal, lithosphere, and thermal-modelling communities. Contributors can:
- increase the visibility and reuse of existing regional or laboratory datasets;
- participate in the development of international standards for thermal rock property data;
- exchange methodological expertise with researchers and laboratories worldwide;
- contribute to coordinated scientific publications and research data releases;
- identify gaps and priorities for future measurements;
- develop new international collaborations across institutions, disciplines, and regions;
- contribute to a long-term research data resource maintained by the IHFC.
Principles for contributor recognition, data citation, acknowledgement, and authorship of coordinated data releases and scientific publications will be defined transparently within the project.
Current activities
The initial project phase focuses on:
- establishing and expanding the international collaboration network;
- developing the GTRPD database structure;
- defining mandatory and recommended metadata;
- developing a transparent quality and applicability framework;
- reviewing existing thermal rock property databases and compilations;
- identifying relevant literature and datasets;
- mapping measurement methods and laboratory capabilities;
- developing lithological and geological classification concepts;
- testing the proposed standards using pilot datasets;
- preparing workflows for systematic literature screening, data extraction, review, and integration.
A first substantial public release of the GTRPD is targeted for 2028. Project updates, workshops, documents, guidelines, and opportunities for participation will be published on this page.
Project workflow
The compilation follows a transparent and traceable workflow: Identify source → Screen → Extract → Review → Correct or standardize where required → Assess quality and applicability → Integrate into the GTRPD Original published values and metadata will be preserved. Any correction, recalculation, standardization, or aggregation will be documented together with its provenance and methodological basis.
Spread the word
The success of the project depends on broad participation by the international community. Please inform colleagues, laboratories, geological surveys, research institutions, industry partners, and other potential data holders about the initiative. Contributions from regions, lithologies, geological environments, and measurement methods that are currently poorly represented are particularly important. Help us build a global, transparent, and quality-controlled reference resource for thermal rock properties.
Support of the compilation project
The Global Thermal Property Compilation Project is coordinated by the International Heat Flow Commission (IHFC) and supported during 2026–2030 through ILP Task Force 2026-TF8. The technical research data infrastructure for long-term implementation of the GTRPD is provided through www.heatflow.world. Additional scientific, institutional, and financial supporters of the project will be acknowledged as the project develops.
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