geothermal gradient

noun

1. the increase in temperature with increasing depth within the earth.

Word History and Origins

Origin of geothermal gradient¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

That's called the geothermal gradient.

From National Geographic

The typical geothermal gradient increases at a rate of just 30 °C per kilometre below ground, and a shallow borehole that the team drilled nearby in 2011 had a gradient of twice that.

From Nature

Both these methods depend on how fast the earth is losing heat, that is on the geothermal gradient.

From Project Gutenberg