Temporal variation and environmental drivers of soil heat flux and surface solar radiation in the northern Qinling foothills

Introduction Based on 2021–2023 meteorological data from the northern Qinling foothills. Methods This study reveals spatiotemporal variations in soil heat flux (G) and surface solar radiation and their correlations with environmental factors. Results Results show soil heat flux (G), measured at 5 cm depth, exhibits a distinct ‘S’-shaped diurnal pattern and seasonal differences, with correlations with surface radiation of R 2 = 0.85 (daily scale) and 0.92 (monthly scale) (p < 0.001), respectively. Environmental temperature, soil moisture, and wind speed are significantly positively correlated with G (r = 0.72, 0.24, 0.27, respectively; p < 0.001), while rainfall and atmospheric pressure show negative correlations (r = −0.27, −0.70). Discussion These findings provide data support for studying energy exchange in regional soil-vegetation-atmosphere systems.