1. n. [Geology, Drilling Fluids]

Also known as geothermal gradient, the rate of increase in temperature per unit depth in the Earth. Although the geothermal gradient varies from place to place, it averages 25 to 30 °C/km [15 °F/1000 ft]. Temperature gradients sometimes increase dramatically around volcanic areas. It is particularly important for drilling fluids engineers to know the geothermal gradient in an area when they are designing a deep well. The downhole temperature can be calculated by adding the surface temperature to the product of the depth and the geothermal gradient.

Synonyms: geothermal gradient,  thermal gradient

See: high-pressure, high-temperature filtration test,  mud engineer