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Activity Number:
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453
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Type:
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Contributed
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Date/Time:
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Wednesday, August 6, 2008 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
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Sponsor:
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Section on Statistics and the Environment
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| Abstract - #301141 |
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Title:
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Comparison of Soil Temperatures at Agricola and Pascagoula, MS
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Author(s):
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Madhuri S. Mulekar*+ and Sytske Kimball and Jacob V. Sowell
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Companies:
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University of South Alabama and University of South Alabama and University of South Alabama
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Address:
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Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Mobile, AL, 36688,
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Keywords:
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Soil temperatures ; Diurnal temperature range ; DTR
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Abstract:
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Environmental scientists use soil temperatures in various applications, including input to global circulation models and to verify and grountruth satellite observations. Agricultural scientists use them to predict changes in crop and woodland productivity. Soil temperatures fluctuate annually and daily and are affected mainly by variations in air temperature and solar radiation. Data collected by University of South Alabama Mesonet stations located in rural Mississippi over a period of about 600 days was analyzed. These stations recorded soil temperatures at the ground surface and below ground at 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 cm on the Celsius scale once every minute. Significant seasonal and yearly cycles were observed in soil temperatures. The diurnal temperature ranges showed significant variation by season and location, coastal versus inland; with higher consistency deeper into the soil.
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