Specific Heat Capacity of Different Types of Soil

The specific heat capacity of soil depends on its composition, moisture content, and density. The following table provides a curated list of specific heat capacity values for common soil types, taken at room temperature (approximately 20°C or 68°F) and 1 atmospheric (atm) pressure. (1 atm = 101,325 Pa)

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Specific Heat Capacity of Soils
Quartz sand (dry)753
Quartz sand (wet) (4-23 wt% water)753
Sand, Northway (4-10 wt% water)837
Sand, quartz (wet) (4-23 wt% water)753
Soil (average)1046
Soil, clayey (wet)2929
Soil, fine quartz flour (dry)745
Soil, fine quartz flour (21 wt% water)1464
Soil, loam (dry)837
Soil, loam (4-27 wt% water)1046
Soil, sandy (8 wt% water)1004
Soil, sandy dry795
References: 1) Cardarelli, François. Materials Handbook: A Concise Desktop Reference. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2018.