I have a question about the underground heat at different distances from the core of the Earth.
I was wondering if there was a depth at which you can dig that the decrease in heat (as a result of being lower) and the increase in heat due to the depth that you dug that the loss of heat was the same as the gain in heat.
Here are the assumptions that I am using:
- The lower an object is, the cooler the air around it and therefore the cooler the object can become. Cold air tends to sink below heated air. (I'm thinking like a basement is cooler than the top floor during summer without air conditioning).
- The deeper you dig towards the centre of the earth, the hotter your surroundings become. (While there may be some initial decrease in temperature, I'm assuming as you dig towards the mantle or core the hotter the ground around you is).
I am holding constant the heat from the sun and atmosphere. Is there a defined depth at which the loss of heat (from falling cool air) = gain in heat (from the heat of the earth)? Does the shape of the hole dug affect the depth at which this occurs?