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Soil Temperature Estimation by a Numerical Method¹

ABSTRACT

A numerical method for computing soil temperature as a function of time and depth was devised. The method allows for variable soil properties as a function of depth and requires measurement of soil temperature at or near the soil surface. Computed and measured soil temperatures agreed within 1.0C when actual soil thermal properties were used for the computation. Computed and measured soil temperatures agreed within 1.5C when soil thermal diffusivity was assumed constant at 0.20 cm² min^-1. Actual values varied with depth from 0.21 to 0.29. Where the thermal diffusivity was assumed uniform at 0.45 cm² min^-1, temperature errors grew from 1.0–1.7C after 3 days to 1.7–3.1C after 6 days.

¹ Contribution from the Department of Soils & Meteorology and Utah Agr. Exp. Sta., Utah State University. The work was supported in part by the IBP, Desert Biome Program, Grant GB15886 of the National Science Foundation.

² Professor and Research Assistants, respectively.

Received for publication February 9, 1971. Accepted for publication April 23, 1971.