Dry soil heats up faster than wet soil, impacting agricultural practices.
A demonstration was done to show how soil moisture affects the heat capacity and thermal conductivity of different soils. Thermometers were placed in soil columns at different depths, with some columns wet and others dry. When heat was applied, the dry soil surfaces heated up faster and hotter than the wet soil surfaces, but the wet soil deeper down warmed up faster. This shows that soil moisture impacts how quickly and how much heat is absorbed by the soil.