Science Fact Finder | The Earth - How Does The Temperature Of The Earth Change As One Goes Deeper Underground?

How does the temperature of the Earth change as one goes deeper underground?

The Earth's temperature increases with depth. Measurements taken in mines and drill-holes deep beneath the Earth's surface, however, indicate that the rate at which temperature increases varies from place to place. The increase in underground temperature ranges from 59° Fahrenheit to 167° Fahrenheit (15 to 75° Celsius) per kilometer in depth.

Actual temperature measurements cannot be made beyond the deepest drill-holes, which are a little more than 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) deep. Estimates suggest that the temperatures at the Earth's center can reach 7,200° Fahrenheit (4,000° Celsius) or higher.

Sources: Barnes-Svarney, Patricia. The New York Public Library Science Desk Reference, p. 377; Skinner, Brian J. The Dynamic Earth, p. 5.

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