Premium
The Characteristics and Mechanism of the Formation of Earth‐Air Pulsation in Extremely Arid Areas
Author(s) -
Li Hongshou,
Zhan Hongtao
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-8996
pISSN - 2169-897X
DOI - 10.1029/2018jd028870
Subject(s) - cabin pressurization , atmospheric pressure , arid , environmental science , earth (classical element) , civilization , water vapor , pseudoscience , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , geology , earth science , history , engineering , archaeology , geography , paleontology , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , aerospace engineering , mathematical physics , physics
The term earth‐air refers to the air inside the vadose zone. The observation of earth‐air was called hou‐qi , which was used to enact meter calendar in ancient China. Currently, however, as a detailed knowledge of hou‐qi has been lost for a long time, it has been denounced as a pseudoscience, as earth‐air is not scientifically and systematically monitored, and its characteristics and formation mechanism are unclear. We have attempted to scientifically monitor and measure earth‐air pressure and reveal its formation mechanism. Results from a specially devised set of air pressure measurements show that the pressure exhibits daily and yearly pulses at different depths. The main cause of the pulsation is soil temperature variation, which results in the soil‐combined water decomposing and air pressurization in warming, and water vapor recombining and air depressurization when cooling, leading to pulsation of the air pressure in the soil. Therefore, rather than a myth, hou‐qi has great significance in the geosciences and studies of the ancient Chinese civilization.