HEAT-FLOW IN ALBANIA

As part of a joint geothermal project between Albania and the Czech Re public, a field expedition was organized to Albania in summer 1993 to measure temperature profiles in selected boreholes and to collect rock samples to determine their thermal conductivity. Fourteen localities were visited and nine detailed temperature-versus-depth profiles were obtained. These results were completed with numerous industrial temper ature records from other deep holes. The regional patterns of temperat ures at 100 m depth and of characteristic near-surface temperature gra dients were constructed, and the effect of the topography on the subsu rface temperature field was assessed to calculate a total of 49 heat f low density data. A generally low geothermal gradient exists in all of the country, ranging from 7-11 mK/m in the synclinal belt, 11-13 mK/m in southernmost Albania, to a maximum of 18-20 mK/m in the central pa rt of the Pre-Adriatic Depression. These values correspond to a low he at flow zone of 30 to 45-50 mW/m(2) extending from the north and borde ring the Adriatic coast. Heat flow generally increases from west to ea st, but its distribution in the Inner Albanides is not clear.