On the ground temperature profile for passive cooling applications in buildings

Several statistical characteristics of the soil temperature in Athens/Greece are determined through Fourier analysis of a 74 year record (1917-1990) of soil temperatures at the surface and at various depths and for both bare and short-grass-covered areas. Specifically the soil temperature patterns are presented along with the Fourier amplitudes and phases of the most important harmonics. It was found that the first three harmonics can reproduce most of the observed patterns in soil temperatures at the surface and at various depths. Finally, the results of the present analysis are compared with some existing data from other known sets of measurements. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.