Theory 109/Soil Science
Soil Temperature Is Inertia
The claim
Soil temperature amplitude is set by the ratio of thermal inertia to albedo rather than by air temperature.
01The mechanism
Inertia damps the surface swing while albedo sets the absorbed energy; the ratio determines how much of the atmospheric signal reaches depth.
02Predictions
- P1Amplitude should track the ratio.
- P2Air temperature alone should mispredict.
03Refutation
Amplitude tracking air temperature would remove the inertia term.