August 11th, 2017

We all understand the impact that the sun has on our surface environment by the warmer temperatures during the day compared to nighttime, and the longer daytime hours during the summer compared to the winter.  On April 21st and August 21st, the daytime hours are the same, but the temperatures in August are much warmer.  Even the temperatures more than 5 feet beneath the surface are more than 12C, or 20F warmer in August than in April.  Neither the sun, core, or the atmosphere are capable of this on their own, but within them there is an interaction between them that creates this unseen, but measurable event.  This event is our planets thermal switch that activates and shuts off the conduction of energy flow from the subterranean creating a period of time when the Earth charges with heat throughout the summer, and then discharges this heat every winter.  When there is a greater charge than discharge, climates change.   
 
This event coincides with the spring bloom every spring and with no atmosphere beneath the surface, the only way for this built up energy to be released is through convection.  The planet always uses convection to move heat towards the surface, but during the summer this is greatly amplified.  The vegetation now draws up moisture from below and releases it at night in the process called transpiration.  The deep-rooted vegetation, unlike crop land and lawns, draws up water from deep beneath the surface and acts as a single vein in a large biomass radiator releasing the energy built up during the day.  The vegetation also shades the surface capturing much of the solar radiation from reaching the soil and prevents impact splash that hardens the soils and prevents infiltration.  They also remove CO2 from the atmosphere, and purify our water.  As the water passes through the plant, contaminants such as bacteria and viruses are trapped by the membranes aiding in the purification of our water. 
 
In the fall, the leaves drop shutting down this cycle as the planet begins to prepare for winter.  As life is driven below, the thatch now covers the surface creating a blanket effect insulating the ground from the elements.  The conduction flow alters between day and night until it is locked in and conduction flow begins.  When the snow falls air is trapped between the layers creating a thermopane effect further insulating the subterranean layers from the surface elements.  The amount of energy transferred will be dependent upon the temperatures differentiation, size of the area affected, the amount of time, and the resistance in the soils that remains constant. 
 
In the spring, and prior to the spring bloom, the thatch continues to protect the surface maintaining a cooler environment preventing the thermal switch from activating prematurely, where cleared land and lawns promote this much faster.  The thatch also aids in water infiltration and protects the surface from impact splash that often occur during the spring rains.  Even though cleared land provides increased conduction flow during the winter, the data supports that the net gain is greater than the loss by as much as .4C.
 
When winters shorten and summers lengthen, there is a gradual increase in the subterranean heat flux that has been registered over the years.  The amount of gain or loss is not a measure of peak daytime highs or nighttime lows, but the seasonal lengths and the size of a winters impact across a continental plate.