How does humidity affect the diurnal temperature range?
The diurnal temperature range is the difference between the daily maximum and minimum temperatures. It is greatest next to the ground and becomes progressively smaller with height above the surface. Dry, clear weather allows for the largest diurnal ranges because daytime air temperatures tend to be higher as sunlight directly warms the ground surface and nighttime temperatures are usually lower due to rapid radiational cooling. Diurnal temperature ranges tend to be smaller in humid areas because haze and clouds lower the maximum temperature by preventing some of the sun's energy from reaching the surface. At night, the moist air keeps the minimum temperature high by absorbing the earth's infrared radiation and radiating a portion of it to the ground.
You might also like to view...
The eastern United States falls under which of the following terrestrial biomes?
A) midlatitude grasslands B) temperate rain forest C) mid-latitude broadleaf and mixed forest D) needleleaf forest
Discuss the vegetation characteristics, characteristic soil orders, temperature patterns, and state of the environment in the biome in which you live
What will be an ideal response?
The planet with a mass most like Earth's is
A. Mars. B. Saturn. C. Neptune. D. Venus. E. Mercury.
The IUCN's Red List is ________
A) an identification list of known species B) a scorecard of international failures at conservation C) an updated list of species facing unusually high risk of extinction D) a list of ecologically harmful invasive species E) a list of unidentified species