Subsurface thermal mapping during contrast seasons over Central Kerala

Abstract

<smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType" downloadurl="http://www.5iantlavalamp.com/"><smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName" downloadurl="http://www.5iantlavalamp.com/"><smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region" downloadurl="http://www.5iantlavalamp.com/"><smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place" downloadurl="http://www.5iantlavalamp.com/"> Thermal mapping of seasonal variation of soil temperature at four locations of increasing altitudes in Central Kerala, India during cold and hot weather is presented based on special observations carried out during 1998. Subsurface characteristics like soil temperature, such as time lag, range of temperature; soil heat flux; and speed of the seasonal variation of annual soil temperature are determined and it is seen that lower annual rainfall at Chinnar WLS has influenced temperature range and time lag at different soil depths. The loss or gain of heat either in cold or hot weather periods are totally location based. The velocity of annual wave during cold weather is lower than hot weather as the presence of soil moisture dampens the penetration of the wave into downward layers of the soil except at Silent Valley. Non-linear behaviour of seasonal soil temperature characteristics gives the impression that localized effect due to non-homogeneous soil pattern would have played a part, apart from soil moisture. </smarttagtype></smarttagtype></smarttagtype></smarttagtype>