Investigating the Effect of Gamma-Ray Burst on the Agricultural Soil Temperature (Published)
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are immensely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant galaxies. This signatures from distant stars helps in carrying out spatial mapping of physical parameters related to soil properties, such as soil temperature. In investigating the effect of gamma-ray burst on the agricultural soil temperature, we used gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) data collected for some period of time to carry out some estimations. Linear regression analysis was carried out using the soil temperature and the GRBs arrival time, . There is an exponential relationship between temperature and time as the soil is heated. This depicts an exponential curve that was fitted into a line; and the slope at any point on the line gives the rate of cooling, which is a determining factor for the time it takes for the soil to adjust between its high and low temperature. The thermal flux which relates to soil temperature is expected to decay at late times. The cooling rate reflects the degree of fall of temperature with time; and the higher the cooling rate, the shorter the time it takes for the soil to readjust its temperature between the upper and the lower ranges of thermal states. Thus, the role of gamma-ray bursts in the management of agro-ecosystem is now becoming a reality.
Keywords: Thermal flux, gamma ray burst, soil temperature
Temperature Variations and Soil Thermal Properties at the Nigeria Mesoscale Experiment Site, Ibadan, Nigeria (Published)
Soil temperature has been observed to depend on a number of factors, which also determine the surface temperature. In this study, soil temperature at the Nigeria Mesoscale Experiment (NIMEX) site, Ibadan (7.4398° N, 3.8930° E) was investigated and the soil thermal properties were estimated for the period of March, 2006 to January, 2007 using Kersten model. The rainy seasons had increased the soil moisture content and soil thermal properties while the dry seasons had low soil moisture content and soil thermal properties. The maximum temperature of 32.10° C at the 30cm depth was measured in November 2006 during the dry season and the minimum temperature 26.80° C was measured at 5cm depth in September 2016 during the wet/rainy season. Soil moisture, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and volumetric heat capacity had their maximum value of 20.52m3m-3, 1.006 Wm-1K-1, 1.07*10-8m2s-1 and 0.91*108Jm-3K-1 in September 2006 respectively. The minimum values for soil moisture, thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity occurred in January, 2007 with values of 15.75 m3m-3, 0.90 Wm-1K-1 and 0.91*108Jm-3K-1 respectively, and the minimum value of 0.85*10-8m2s-1 for thermal diffusivity occurred in July 2006.
Keywords: Soil moisture content, Thermal Conductivity, Thermal Diffusivity, Volumetric Heat Capacity, soil temperature
Temperature Variations and Soil Thermal Properties at the Nigeria Mesoscale Experiment Site, Ibadan, Nigeria (Published)
Soil temperature has been observed to depend on a number of factors, which also determine the surface temperature. In this study, soil temperature at the Nigeria Mesoscale Experiment (NIMEX) site, Ibadan (7.4398° N, 3.8930° E) was investigated and the soil thermal properties were estimated for the period of March, 2006 to January, 2007 using Kersten model. The rainy seasons had increased the soil moisture content and soil thermal properties while the dry seasons had low soil moisture content and soil thermal properties. The maximum temperature of 32.10° C at the 30cm depth was measured in November 2006 during the dry season and the minimum temperature 26.80° C was measured at 5cm depth in September 2016 during the wet/rainy season. Soil moisture, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and volumetric heat capacity had their maximum value of 20.52m3m-3, 1.006 Wm-1K-1, 1.07*10-8m2s-1 and 0.91*108Jm-3K-1 in September 2006 respectively. The minimum values for soil moisture, thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity occurred in January, 2007 with values of 15.75 m3m-3, 0.90 Wm-1K-1 and 0.91*108Jm-3K-1 respectively, and the minimum value of 0.85*10-8m2s-1 for thermal diffusivity occurred in July 2006.
Keywords: Soil moisture content, Thermal Conductivity, Thermal Diffusivity, Volumetric Heat Capacity, soil temperature