Abstract
In an earlier paper [J. Appl. Phys. 50, 2776 (1979)], the modified Cheng-Vachon model was found to give good agreement with experimental data on the variation of thermal diffusivity with organic content for Green River oil shales. Calculations using the model were carried out for the case where heat flows in directions perpendicular to the shale stratigraphic planes. In the present paper, the above model is modified to account for experimental trends in the parallel heat-flow case. The modified model provides a self-consistent explanation for the lower degree of anisotropy (relative to theory) that has been experimentally observed for the thermal diffusivity of Green River oil shales.