Living · 6 pages · 12 min
How a compost pile heats
Microbes oxidizing fresh material release heat faster than a large pile can shed it.
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From the opening
A compost pile heats because microbes break down fresh organic matter and release energy as heat. If the pile is large enough and moist enough to hold that heat, the inside becomes warmer than the air, and the warmth is a byproduct of decay rather than a fire or trapped sunshine. The opening covers microbial respiration as the heat, why the core stays warmer, and air and a turn that reheats.
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Inside
- Microbial respiration as the heat
- Why the core stays warmer
- Air and a turn that reheats
- Thin or woody piles stay cool
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Aerobic microbial respiration in compost
- Self-heating of a sufficiently large pile