The thermal conductivities of familiar igneous rocks, such as basalt, at laboratory pressure, are typically 
W m−1 K−1. Taking a high‐temperature specific heat, 
J K−1 kg−1 and 
kg m−3 as the basalt density, the corresponding thermal diffusivity is 
m2 s−1. For mantle minerals we find κ ≈ 4.0 W m−1 K−1, η ≈ 1.0
10−6 m2 s−1. Thermal conductivity of the crust and uppermost mantle (the lithosphere) can differ little from the conductivities of laboratory samples, but for the deep mantle, the effects of high pressure as well as high temperature must be considered. If we nevertheless assume that there is no dramatic variation in diffusivity, then thermal diffusion is too slow to influence the deep structure or thermal history. Heat transport in the mantle is by convection and conduction is important only in boundary layers with steep temperature gradients. In the context of geomagnetism this means especially the D″ layer at the bottom of the mantle, adjacent to the core.
Lattice conductivity and...
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Bibliography
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Stacey, F.D. (2007). Mantle, Thermal Conductivity. In: Gubbins, D., Herrero-Bervera, E. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4423-6_213
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