Thermal Gradient Method Research Articles

Single crystal growth and physical properties of La, Co doped (Eu,Ca)FeAs2

We report the growth of La and Co doped (Eu,Ca)FeAs2 ((Eu0.5Ca0.4La0.1)(Fe0.97Co0.03)As2, La,Co-(Eu,Ca)112) single crystals via high temperature sintering method and their superconducting properties were investigated. Unlike other iron-based superconductors, single crystals of this compound were relatively easy to obtain by sintering at high temperatures from stoichiometric compositions. Using small amounts of precursor (0.5 g) and optimization of the isothermal temperature and temperature gradient profiles, relatively large (up to 2.8 mm2) 112 single crystals were obtained. X-ray diffraction measurements on the 112 single crystals indicated only (0 0 l) Bragg peaks. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis indicated the composition of the grown 112 single crystals to be (Eu0.54, Ca0.38, La0.09)(Fe0.96, Co0.037)As2. The coexistence of superconductivity and Eu2+ magnetism, as reported in EuFeAs2, was confirmed. The onset of superconducting transition temperature of 30 K (magnetic susceptibility) and 31.8 K (electrical resistivity) was observed in the La,Co-(Eu,Ca)112 single crystal grown by thermal gradient method. Our present results indicating further optimization of Co doping may enhance the superconductivity in these compounds. The La,Co-(Eu,Ca)112 iron-based superconductor, which have unique physical properties and are relatively easy to grow as single crystals, may bring an interesting playground in the field of superconducting materials.

Southwestern Atlantic ocean fronts detected from the fusion of multi-source remote sensing data by a deep learning model

In the Southwestern Atlantic, the Falkland Current intrudes onto the South American shelf, resulting in the meeting of two water masses which are completely different in temperature and dynamic characteristics, thus generating the Southwestern Atlantic Front (SAF). Therefore, the SAF has prominent characteristics of thermal and dynamics. The current ocean front detection is mainly by performing gradient operations on sea surface temperature (SST) data, where regions with large temperature gradients are considered as ocean fronts. The thermal gradient method largely ignores the dynamical features, leading to inaccurate manifestation of SAF. This study develops a deep learning model, SAFNet, to detect the SAF through the synergy of 10-year (2010-2019) satellite-derived SST and sea surface height (SSH) observations to achieve high accuracy detection of SAF with fused thermal and dynamic characteristics. The comparative experimental results show that the detection accuracy of SAFNet reaches 99.45%, which is significantly better than other models. By comparing the frontal probability (FP) obtained by SST, SSH and SST-SSH fusion data respectively, it is proved that the necessity of fusion multi-source remote sensing data for SAF detection. The detection results of fusion data can reflect the spatial distribution of SAF more comprehensively and accurately. According to the meridional variation of FP, the main reason for the seasonal variation of the SAF is the change in its thermal characteristics, and the SAF has stable dynamic characteristics.

Influence of sodium trimetaphosphate on glycine phosphite single crystals grown by modified thermal gradient method

The unidirectional sodium trimetaphosphate doped glycine phosphite (STM-GPI) single crystals were grown by a modified thermal gradient solution (TGS) growth method. The single crystals were grown with diameters ranging from 18 to 35 mm. The intrinsic and extrinsic point defects were created due to the doping effect. The phase changes in lattice parameter values and intensity of reflections have been analysed in this study. The effect of point defects due to STM doping in glycine phosphite has been studied. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the high-resolution diffraction curves was confirmed as 70 arc s. The defected single crystal shows a lower laser damage threshold value. The bending and stretching vibrations were changed in functional groups. The changes on the surface of the crystal were analysed with real-time growth. The Curie temperature and cutoff wavelength were measured.

Crystal structures and evaluated of structural transformations of three novel Lead(II) halide/pseudohalide coordination polymers: Effect of sonochemical synthesis conditions on morphology and particle size

A thermal gradient method (branched tube) was applied to synthesize three novel lead (II) mixed-ligand coordination polymers, [Pb(NNO) (HNNO) (I3)]n (1), [Pb(NNO) (SCN)]n (2) and [Pb(PNO) (I)]n (3), (HPNO ​= ​picolinic acid N-oxide and HNNO ​= ​nicotinic acid N-oxide) which were structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The thermal behavior of 1, 2 and 3 was identified by thermogravimetric analysis. Compounds 2 and 3 were also prepared by an ultrasonic process and their characterizations were carried out by IR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Mechanochemical transformations of compounds 3 and [Pb(PNO) (SCN)] (4) were investigated by replacement of their anions. The particle size and morphology of compounds 2 and 3 were examined by changing the initial concentration of reagents, time and ultrasonic power.

DETERMINATION OF PIROCARBON MATRIX CHARACTERISTICS IN CARBON/CARBON COMPOSITES

One of the methods of carbon/carbon composites (C/C composites) production is the deposition of a pyrocarbon (pyC) matrix in a porous preform. The investigation of the pyC matrix characteristics is based on the optical anisotropy with determination of the extinction angle Ae and X-ray diffraction determination of the interplanar spacing d002, crystallite size in the direction of stacking of graphite layers Lc and average size of graphite planes parallel layer in crystallites La. In this study, three previously produced by the thermal gradient method with different parameters specimens of C/C composites were investigated by optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction methods. The studied specimens have a different type of a texture and different structural characteristics of the pyC matrix. Extinction angle Ae for specimen 1, specimen 2 and 3 was 5°, 19° and 41°, respectively. The range of the extinction angle for the pyC matrix is wider than that presented in literature. And according to the classification of pyC the matrix of specimen 1, specimen 2 and 3 is dark laminar pyC, rough laminar pyC and highly textured pyC. For specimen 2 the largest d002 equal to 0.3476 nm was observed. The lowest degree of three-dimensional ordering relative other specimens was for the specimen 2 with rough laminar pyC matrix. The highest degree of three-dimensional ordering was for the specimen 3 with highly textured pyC matrix. However, there is no direct relationship between the textural and structural characteristics of the pyC matrix. Therefore, the study of the pyC matrix should be based on optical and X-ray diffraction methods.

Does soil organic matter in mollic horizons of central/east European floodplain soils have common chemical features?

Soils on riverine floodplains in temperate climate may be characterized by a mollic epipedon, i.e. by dark colour, enhanced content of soil organic matter (SOM), high ‘base’ saturation and developed structure in the topsoil. We studied 124 soil samples from ten central/east European countries to investigate whether SOM in mollic horizons has similar chemical features. We determined carbon contents with a thermal-gradient method to differentiate SOM with varying thermal stability, and carbonates. We characterized SOM by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy. According to the World Reference Base for Soil Resources, 102 of the samples fulfilled all criteria of a mollic horizon. Mollic features were not restricted to the uppermost horizon but also detected in buried former surface horizons. Soil colour was mostly the criterion to exclude non-mollic samples. Mollic and adjacent non-mollic horizons contained thermostable SOM, indicating SOM stabilized by interaction with minerals or as black carbon (BC), to very similar extent, up to 20.4% of total soil organic carbon (SOC). However, the correlation between the contents of thermostable SOC and total SOC, the SOC:N ratios of the thermostable fraction, and the smaller extent of metal complexation of carboxyl groups, pointed to a larger contribution of BC to SOM of mollic samples than to SOM in non-mollic samples. Thus, like in mollic horizons in Chernozems and Phaeozems not affected by fluviatile dynamics, SOM in mollic horizons of floodplain soils seemed to consist of SOM affected by natural or anthropogenic fires, constituting a common chemical feature of SOM. Thus, BC may contribute to soil colour and SOM stability in mollic horizons of floodplain soils. However, apart from BC contribution, SOM in mollic horizons of floodplain soils may have further pathways of formation and development, as SOM may be inherited from deposited material or form/transform by degradative or constructive processes.

The preferred and avoidance temperatures of Thermocyclops crassus (Fischer, 1853) and their relation to the temperature of optimal, pessimal and normal performance of the species

The ranges of the preferred and avoided temperatures in representatives of Thermocyclops crassus (Fischer, 1853) were determined by the results of experimental testing in a thermogradient aparatus and comparison of the obtained values with field observations of the optimal, pessimal and tolerated temperature conditions of development of these populations in nature. Copepods were sampled from pond located near Borok, Yaroslavl region, Russia (58o02'57'' N; 38o14'56'' E). The ambient water temperature was 15.0°С. Temperature preference was determined by the “chronic” method. The phenology of development of Th. crassus was observed in the field of water bodies in Central and Volga Federal Districts of Russia. The final thermal preferendum (FTP) achievement occurred with an increase in the preferred temperature: when animals were placed at a temperature in the thermal gradient (14.0–15.0°C) that approximated the temperature of the source pond, they moved to warmer water until they chose FTP (26.7°C). Obtained the values of FTP (25–30°C), temperature of normal performance (21–32°C) and pessimal temperatures of 9–20 and 33°С well coincide with numerous field observations for temperature conditions of development of species in northern waterbodies of Holarctic and with the temperatures at which populations of Th. crassus thrive in southern waterbodies of Holarctic and in tropical lakes. It is concluded that, despite the historically long existence of the species in the reservoirs of the temperate climatic zone, the northern populations of Th. crassus retained the temperature responses characteristic of their southern sister populations. And although the species has adapted to life in northern reservoirs at lower temperatures, when it becomes possible to choose, cyclops prefer temperatures above 25°C, which are optimal for southern populations living in tropical waters. These data once again confirm that the horizontal thermal gradient method can be used to infer temperature tolerance of freshwater cyclopoid copepods in nature.

A new hemidirected lead(II) complex extended in holodirected one-dimensional polymer by secondary Pb–O interactions: A precursor for preparation of PbO nanoparticles, and DFT study

A new 1D extended lead (II) coordination polymer [Pb(2-apinh) (NO3)2]n (1), (2-apinh = 2-acetylpyridine isonicotinoylhydrazone) has been synthesized by a thermal gradient method in a branched tube and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, thermal analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The single-crystal X-ray data show that the coordination number of Pb(II) in [Pb(2-apinh)(NO3)2] moieties is five (PbN2O3) with a stereo-chemically active lone pair on lead(II), and thus its coordination sphere is hemidirected. Moreover, each [Pb(2-apinh) (NO3)2] unit is linked by the secondary Pb⋯O7i interactions to form 1D extended coordination polymer, which approximately completes the Pb(II) coordination sphere with a Pb⋯O5 interaction (PbN2O5) in a holodirected geometry. In the solid state, the 1D chains are connected through non-covalent interactions, such as π⋯π stacking, C–H⋯π and C–H⋯O interactions to form 3D supramolecular network. Moreover, compound 1 exhibits 1D left-handed helical infinite chains along the c axis by non-covalent interactions. The structure of 1 has been optimized by density functional theory. The calculated structural parameters and IR spectra for the complex are in accordance with its crystal structure. PbO nanoparticles were obtained by thermolysis of 1 at 180 °C with oleic acid as a surfactant and characterized via FT-IR, XRD, and SEM.

Selective etching of diamond single crystals obtained by thermal–gradient method

Diamond single crystals were investigated using the selective etching. The crystals obtained by the thermal–gradient method using the Toroid type high– pressure device in the thermodynamic stability region at a pressure of 5.7 – 6.1 GPa and a temperature of 1420 – 1450°C were examined. Diamond samples had a cubooctahedral habit with the size of 2 – 4 mm; the crystal weight of 0,1 – 0,26 ct. Studies were carried out on plates prepared by parallel plane grinding (100). Before etching, diamond crystals were purified with a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids, then washed with chromic mixture. Etching was carried out using potassium nitride and potassium hydroxide at atmospheric pressure and a temperature of 550 ÷. 580°C in a platinum crucible. Experiments were performed in five stages, the total etching time – 85 min. A decrease in weight and changes in the etching patterns of diamond single crystals was observed. It was shown that diamond single crystals have a high perfection degree and low etchability at these temperatures.

Thermoelectric Properties of ZnO Thin Films Grown by Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition

ABSTRACTThermoelectric (TE) materials have gained renewed interests in last decades for both power generation and energy conservation from waste-heat harvesting. Research in the discovery of best TE materials such as, bulk materials, complex structures, and low dimensional play crucial role to achieve high efficiency TE materials. Wide bandgap materials like ZnO can be promising candidate for high efficiency TE power generation owing to its low-cost, nontoxicity, and stability at high temperatures. In this paper, room temperature TE properties of thin film ZnO grown by metal organic vapor deposition (MOCVD) are reported. TE properties of thin film GaN are also studied as reference to that of thin film ZnO. Moreover, high resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD), room temperature photoluminescence (PL) with deep ultraviolet (DUV) spectroscopy (excitation at 248nm), hall effect, and thermal gradient methods have been employed to investigate the effect of structural, optical, electrical, and thermal properties of the samples, respectively. The effect of doping concentrations and structural defects on Seebeck coefficients of thin film ZnO are systematically studied and discussed in this work.

Investigation of Thermoelectric Properties of P-Type GaN Thin Films

ABSTRACTGaN and its alloys are promising candidates for high temperature thermoelectric (TE) materials due to their high Seebeck coefficient and high thermal and mechanical stability. Moreover, these materials can overcome the toxicity concern of current Te-based TE materials, such as Bi2Te3 and PbTe. These materials have recently shown a higher Seebeck coefficient than that of SiGe in high temperature region because their large bandgap characteristic eliminates the bipolar conduction. In this study, we report the room temperature thermoelectric properties of p-type Mg doped GaN, grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on sapphire substrate with various carrier concentrations. Undoped and n-type GaN are also incorporated with p-type GaN films to make comparison. The structural, optical, electrical, and thermal properties of the samples were examined by X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, van der Pauw hall-effect, and thermal gradient methods, respectively. The Seebeck coefficient ranging from 710-900µV/K at room temperature of Mg: GaN were observed, which further indicated their potential TE applications.

Simultaneous measurement of soil organic and inorganic carbon: evaluation of a thermal gradient analysis

The best method for determining soil organic carbon (SOC) in carbonate-containing samples is still open to debate. The objective of this work was to evaluate a thermal gradient method (ThG), which can determine simultaneously inorganic carbon (SIC) and SOC in a wide range of soil samples. The determination of SOC by ThG (SOCThG) was compared to the following widespread standard methods: (1) acidification (ACI) as pretreatment and subsequent dry combustion (SOCACI) and (2) volumetric quantification of SIC by a calcimeter (CALC) and subtraction of the total carbon content as determined by dry combustion (SOCCALC). Precision (F test) and bias (t test) were tested on a subset of seven samples (n = 3). Comparison of the ThG and CALC methods was performed by regression analysis (n = 76) on samples representing a wide range of SOC (5.5 to 212.0 g kg−1) and SIC (0 to 59.2 g kg−1) contents. Tests on the replicated subset showed that the precision of ThG was not significantly different from ACI or CALC (F values < 39, n = 3) for SOC and SIC measurements. However, SOCACI and SOCCALC contents were systematically and significantly lower compared to SOCThG contents. The positive bias for SOCThG relative to SOCCALC contents appeared also in the regression analysis (given numbers ± standard errors) of the whole data set (y = (4.67 ± 0.70) + (0.99 ± 0.01)x, R 2 = 0.99, n = 76). When performing a regression with carbonate-free samples, the bias between the methods was negative (−2.90 ± 0.63, n = 29) but was positive in the set with carbonate-containing samples (3.95 ± 1.41, n = 47). This observation corroborated the suspicion that the use of acid for carbonate decomposition can lead to an underestimation of SOC. All methods were suitable for differentiation between SIC and SOC, but the use of acid resulted in lower estimates of SOC contents. When comparing soil samples with different carbonate concentrations, the use of the ThG method is more reliable.

Soil profile method for soil thermal diffusivity, conductivity and heat flux: Comparison to soil heat flux plates

Diffusive heat flux at the soil surface is commonly determined as a mean value over a time period using heat flux plates buried at some depth (e.g., 5–8cm) below the surface with a correction to surface flux based on the change in heat storage during the corresponding time period in the soil layer above the plates. The change in heat storage is based on the soil temperature change in the layer over the time period and an estimate of the soil thermal heat capacity that is based on soil water content, bulk density and organic matter content. One- or multiple-layer corrections using some measure of mean soil temperature over the layer depth are common; and in some cases the soil water content has been determined, although rarely. Several problems with the heat flux plate method limit the accuracy of soil heat flux values. An alternative method is presented and this flux gradient method is compared with soil heat flux plate measurements. The method is based on periodic (e.g., half-hourly) water content and temperature sensing at multiple depths within the soil profile and a solution of the Fourier heat flux equation. A Fourier sine series is fit to the temperature at each depth and the temperature at the next depth below is simulated with a sine series solution of the differential heat flux equation using successive approximation of the best fit based on changing the thermal diffusivity value. The best fit thermal diffusivity value is converted to a thermal conductivity value using the soil heat capacity, which is based on the measured water content and bulk density. A statistical analysis of the many data resulting from repeated application of this method is applied to describe the thermal conductivity as a function of water content and bulk density. The soil heat flux between each pair of temperature measurement depths is computed using the thermal conductivity function and measured water contents. The thermal gradient method of heat flux calculation compared well to values determined using heat flux plates and calorimetric correction to the soil surface; and it provided better representation of the surface spatiotemporal variation of heat flux and more accurate heat flux values. The overall method resulted in additional important knowledge including the water content dynamics in the near-surface soil profile and a soil-specific function relating thermal conductivity to soil water content and bulk density.

Ultrasonic-assisted synthesis of nano-structured lead(II) coordination polymers as precursors for preparation of lead(II) oxide nanoparticles

Crystalline and nano-structures of two novel Pb(II) coordination polymers, [Pb2(2-pyr)4(MeOH)]n (1), {2-Hpyr=2-pyrazinecarboxylic acid} and [Pb(2-quc)2]n (2), {2-Hquc=2-quinolinecarboxylic acid} are synthesized via thermal gradient and sonochemical methods, respectively. X-ray diffraction is used to clarify the structure of the single crystals of the newly synthesized 1 and 2 polymers. The nano-structured polymers are also characterized via X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The thermal stability of both crystalline and nanostructured 1 and 2 coordination polymers is closely investigated via thermal gravimetric (TGA) and differential thermal analyses (DTA), and the results are compared to show the effect of particle size on thermal stability of complexes. The compounds are then heated to 600°C to produce PbO nano-particles. The resulting PbO is characterized through XRD and SEM analyses. Interestingly, PbO nanoparticles with different morphology and size are produced from calcination of the two coordination polymers.

Thermoelectric properties of lattice-matched AlInN alloy grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

Thermoelectric properties of lattice-matched AlInN grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition were measured and analyzed. The n-type Al0.83In0.17N alloy exhibited thermal conductivity of 4.87 W/(m K) measured by 3ω differential method. The Seebeck coefficient of n-Al0.83In0.17N was measured as −6.012×10−4 V/K by thermal gradient method. The sheet resistivity of n-Al0.83In0.17N was measured by using Van der Pauw method, and the electrical conductivity was measured as 2.38×104/(Ω m). The thermoelectric figure of merit (Z∗T) of n-type Al0.83In0.17N was measured as 0.532 at room temperature (T=300 K). The finding indicates lattice-matched AlInN alloy on GaN as excellent material candidate for thermoelectric application.

Mechanism of water solubility in silicate melts of the albite-nepheline system

Water solubility and speciation have been studied in melts from the system albite-nepheline. Water solubility was determined at PH2O = 200 MPa and T = 1200oC using Karl Fischer titration (KFT) and weight loss methods. It increases from 5.8 ± 0.1 wt. % in the albite melt to 7.25 ± 0.25 % in the nepheline melt. The solubility dependence has a sigmoidal shape with a steep increase in the Ab40–Ab60 compositional range. The densities of the hydrous glasses have been measured using the thermal-gradient method. Infrared (IR) combination bands of molecular H2O and hydroxyl groups in these glasses demonstrate a systematic shift to lower frequencies with increasing alkalinity. The data are consistent with the appearance of aluminate species (Al-O-Al fragments) appearing at 40–60 wt.% nepheline (Ab60–Ab40).

Stishovite single-crystal growth and application to silicon self-diffusion measurements

Large single crystals of stishovite were successfully synthesized at 11 GPa from a silica solution in water. The potential of both slow cooling and thermal gradient methods were examined. The thermal gradient method provided crystals of 0.8 × 0.8 × 1.3 mm in size grown at 1350 °C and a thermal gradient of 50 °C/mm using stishovite as a silica source. The use of quartz as a source resulted in the appearance of numerous stishovite crystals in the solution interior resulting in diminished space for the growth of large crystals. This can be explained by a significant difference in the solubility of metastable quartz and stishovite in water, estimated to be 85.3 and 5.6 wt% SiO 2 at 1000 °C and 11 GPa, respectively. Crystals up to 0.8 × 1.3 × 1.5 mm were grown by the slow cooling method in the system SiO 2 + 14.7 wt% H 2 O as temperature was decreased from 1600 to 1000 °C with a cooling rate of 2 °C/min. The size of single crystals obtained was large enough to carry out silicon self-diffusion experiments, which were performed at a pressure of 14 GPa and temperatures from 1400 to 1800 °C. The lattice diffusion coefficients along the [110] and [001] directions can be expressed as D [110] (m 2 /s) = 4.10 × 10 −12 exp [−322 (kJ/mol)/R T ] and D [001] (m 2 /s) = 5.62 × 10 −12 exp [−334 (kJ/mol)/R T ], respectively, where R is the gas constant and T is the absolute temperature.

Fast-response thermistors made of synthetic single-crystal diamonds

Miniature thermistors are produced from boron-doped synthetic single-crystal diamonds grown under pressure using the thermal gradient method. It is shown that heavily doped diamonds with a boron concentration of 1019 cm−3 or higher are most suitable for this purpose. In the temperature range of 300–700 K, coefficient β = ln(R1/R2)/(1/T1 − 1/T2) is 2500 K. The characteristic response time of temperature-sensitive elements based on crystals with dimensions of 1 × 1 × 0.3 mm is ∼100 µs; i.e., they can be used in monitoring systems with a response speed of up to 10 kHz.

Growth of large (1 mm) MgSiO3 perovskite single crystals: A thermal gradient method at ultrahigh pressure

Large single crystals of MgSiO 3 perovskite were successfully synthesized by a thermal gradient method at 24 GPa and 1500 °C. This was achieved by an improvement of high-pressure synthesis technique that allowed us to grow single crystals under such ultrahigh-pressure conditions in relatively large volumes (e.g., 10 mm 3 ). Since crystal growth is hindered by neighboring crystals, the nucleation density was suppressed by reducing the thermal gradient to 20 °C/mm, permitting an increase in free space for large crystal growth. KHCO 3 -Mg(OH) 2 solvent can be used to grow perovskite crystals. However, the carbonate solvent produces melt inclusions. Silicate sources with MgSiO 3 composition produce stishovite inclusions, which in turn cause splitting of perovskite crystals. The formation of these inclusions is avoided by using H 2 O as a solvent and 85MgSiO 3 -15Mg 2 SiO 4 as a silicate source. The H 2 O also allows homogeneous crystal growth, probably because of its low viscosity and high silicate solubility. High-quality single crystals larger than 1 mm were successfully synthesized through these technical developments.

A novel approach to studying the effects of temperature on soil biogeochemistry using a thermal gradient bar

AbstractThe temperature dependence of chemical reaction rates and microbial metabolism mean that temperature is a key factor regulating soil trace gas emissions and hydrochemistry. Here we evaluated a novel approach for studying the thermal response of soils, by examining the effects of temperature on gas emissions and hydrochemistry in (a) peat and (b) soil from a Sitka spruce plantation. A thermal gradient was applied along an aluminium bar, allowing soil to be incubated contemporaneously from 2 to 18 °C. The approach demonstrated clear differences in the biogeochemical responses of the two soil types to warming. The peat showed no significant emission of CH4 at temperatures below 6 °C, while above 6 °C, a marked increase in the rate of release was apparent up to 15 °C (Q10 = 2.5) with emissions being similar between 15 and 18 °C. Conversely, CH4 emissions from the forest soil did not respond to warming. Nitrate availability in the peat decreased by 90% between 2 and 18 °C (P &lt; 0.01), whereas concentrations in the forest soil did not respond. Sulphate availability in the peat decreased significantly with warming (60%, P &lt; 0.01), while the forest soil showed the opposite response (a 30% increase, P &lt; 0.01). Conventionally, thermal responses are studied by incubating individual soil samples at different temperatures, involving lengthy preparation and facilities to incubate samples at different temperatures simultaneously. Data collected on a given thermal response is usually limited and thus interpolated or extrapolated. The thermal gradient method overcomes these problems, is simple and flexible, and can be adapted for a wide range of sample types (not confined to soil). Such apparatus may prove useful in the optimization of management practices to mitigate the effects of climate change, as thermal responses will differ depending on land use and soil type.