Thursday, November 1, 2012

From the ground...down


If you’ve ever lived in a house with a basement, or spent time in a cave, you are probably aware that the temperature underground remains fairly constant regardless of what the air temperature is doing.  Many times the basement is the warmest part of the house in the winter, and the coolest in the summer.  Old time root cellars took advantage of this uniform temperature before air conditioners and central heat were common. 
  
Obviously, fluctuations in the air temperature will penetrate some distance into the ground.  How deep will they go?  While this question is fascinating all by itself, it has some practical implications, too.