Soil Thermal Conductivity Data (FIFE)

The purpose of the 1989 FIFE soil properties investigation was to obtain a description of the thermal properties of the soils within the FIFE study area. Soil thermal conductivity measurements describe the soil properties which govern the flow of heat through the soil. The thermal conductivity is defined as the quantity of heat that flows through a unit area in a unit time under a unit temperature gradient. These measurements were made using a hot wire probe in situ at two depths at twenty six FIFE sites during October 1987. The measurements were taken using a long electrically heated wire enclosed in a cylindrical probe . The probe is placed in the soil, the wire is heated by running a current through it, and the temperature rise is measured with a thermocouple placed next to the wire. A plot of temperature versus the log of time can be used to derive the thermal conductivity. The results may require a correction factor to account for the dimensions of the probe.