Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed, Idaho (Soil Temperature)

Long-term soil temperature data were collected at the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed (RCEW) from 1981-1996 at five locations representing different climatic regimes and soils in the RCEW, ranging in elevation from 1190 to 2101 m. Each site is located in close proximity to a climate station on nearly level slopes. In most sites, there were six or seven measurement depths ranging from 2.5 to 240 cm; in 1990, new sensors were installed at all sites at depths of 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 180 cm. Each soil temperature depth profile is located near at least one neutron access tube and a precipitation gauge, and complete climate station information was collected either at the site or in reasonable proximity. Regular data collection started in 1981 or 1982, depending on the site. The temperature sensors used were YSI (Yellow Springs Instruments, Yellow Springs, Ohio) two-thermistor composite thermolinear components accurate to 0.15C. Data were originally collected in 1981 by connecting a hand-held voltmeter to the sensor leads, and individual sensors at different depths were read using a manual switch. These data were collected once each week, and the time was recorded. At some sites the switches were bypassed and hooked up to data loggers of various design resulting in more frequent (either 1 or 4 hour) recording intervals. Prior to 1990, soil temperature sensors were installed by attaching the sensors to a 0.05 m diameter wooden pole at the desired depth intervals, drilling a hole a with a drill rig (the soils in the RCEW are very rocky), inserting the pole in the drilled hole, and backfilling.