ИСТИНА

The measurements of the soil temperature are carrying out at Moscow University inside Moscow city continuously since 1954 at 11 different depths from 5 to 320 cm below the ground. This parameter is measured there synchronously on two places: both below usual tunicle area, and below special naked area of 12×20 m2 plottage. These measurements are carrying out during each three hours at any depth from 5 to 40 cm and once a day at all deeper levels from 60 to 320 cm below the ground. The main tendency of the soil temperature during last half a century is its increase in time which is quicker below the naked area (with a rate nearly of +0.01 ºC/year that is the same order of the air temperature change which is equal nearly to +0.02 ºC/year in Moscow city). Unlike it, the soil temperature below tunicle area (i.e. below snow cover in winter or below grass and turf in summer) increases in time only a bit – evidently, due to less heat conductivity there. Generally, the soil temperature on the 320 cm depth below the naked area is on 1.5-2.0 ºC higher than at the same depth below tunicle area in average of a year. The soil temperature in the layer up to 320 cm below the ground (in tunicle conditions) is measured as well at several stations in Moscow region at rural zone around Moscow city. The comparison of results demonstrates that the underground urban ‘heat island’ seems to be detected in the soil because average soil temperatures in Moscow city are 0.2-0.6 ºC higher than outside the city. However, it should be noted that influence of a lot of local factors (a type of the soil, closeness of a station to an open water, etc.) must be taken into account as well. Main features of the soil temperature dynamics in time in Moscow region will be discussed in report.