STEM与日常科技·英语30篇（5）

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STEM轻科普：白蚁丘如何维持恒定内部温度（2026-D022）

Termite mounds in Africa can stay at 31°C day and night despite outside temperatures swinging from 2°C to 40°C.
Their porous clay walls act like lungs, drawing in cool air at dawn and expelling warm air at dusk.
Convection currents rise through central chimneys while fresh air enters via underground tunnels.
Solar heating warms outer walls, creating pressure differences that drive passive airflow without fans.
Engineers have modeled these structures to design energy-free building ventilation systems.
Infrared imaging shows heat flows follow precise architectural symmetry, not random construction.
The mound’s orientation aligns with seasonal sun paths to optimize thermal regulation year-round.
Microbial activity inside decomposes wood, generating steady low-level heat that stabilizes core zones.
Studies confirm colonies collapse if mound geometry is artificially altered, proving form enables function.
This natural HVAC system operates continuously for decades with zero electricity input.