Soil Investigation

Soil Temperature Data Work Sheet

Site name:______________________________________________________________
Name of Collector/Analyst/Recorder: _______________________________________

Required Information:
Observation:  Date  ________________  Time  ___________ UT
Soil Thermometer:     Dial ______    Digital ______     Other _____
Current Conditions:   Rain within last 24 hrs?   Yes _____    No _____ 

Daily Metadata/Comments: (optional)




Directions:
Make 3 sets of soil temperature measurements adjacent to your soil
moisture STAR pattern or Weather Shelter at 5 and 10 cm depth on a weekly
basis. Use sample lines 1-3 below (3 samples x 2 depths = 6 measurements).
Complete these measurements within 20 minutes within 1 hour of local solar
noon.
OR
Measure the diurnal variation of soil temperature seasonally or at
least 3 times/yr by measuring soil temperature at 5 and 10 cm every
2 to 3 hours during the school day. Use sample lines 1-5 below (about 5
times/day x 2 depths = 10 measurements/day). This must be done for two
consecutive days. Report each day separately. Additional space is available
for classes who want to report diurnal data more frequently or for more
hours. Use the graph below to plot soil temperature vs. time-of-day.

Observations: