Questions for Exam Flashcards
Lag in daily temperature refers to the lag time between
the time of maximum solar radiation & the time of maximum temperature
During the afternoon the greatest temp diff. between the surface air & the air several meters above occurs on a
Clear, calm afternoon
The greatest variation in daily temp usually occurs
at the ground
In summer, humid regions typically have ……….. daily temp ranges & ………….. maximum temps than drier regions.
smaller, lower
In most areas the warmest time of the day about 5 feet above the ground occurs
in the afternoon between 2 & 5 pm
Everything else being equal, the lowest air temp on a winter night will occur above a
surface covered with snow
Which is generally true at night
Earth emits more energy than it absorbs
Lowest temp is usually observed
around sunrise
Which is generally true during the day
Earth absorbs more energy than it emits
In clear weather the air next to the ground is usually ………. than the air above during the night, & ………. than the air above during the day
colder, warmer
One would expect the lowest temps to be found next to the ground on a
Clear, dry, calm day
Warmer than average overnight temps are probably not associated with
a strong radiation inversion
At what time during a 24-hour day would a radiation temp inversion best be developed
near sunrise
Ideal conditions for a strong radiation inversion are
Clear, calm, dry, winter night
The primary cause of a radiation inversion is
infrared radiation emitted by the earth’s surface
Important reason for the large daily temp range over deserts is
there is little water vapor in the air to absorb & re-radiate infrared radiation
The deepest radiation inversion would be observed
in polar regions in winter
A radiation inversion is most commonly observed
just above the ground
On a clear, clam, night, the ground & air above, cool mainly by this process
radiation
Orchard heaters & wind machines are most useful in preventing damaging low temps from occurring next to the ground on
clear, calm nights
Thermal belts are
warmer hillsides that are less likely to experience freezing conditions
In a hilly region the best place to plant crops that are sensitive to low temp is
alone the hillside
Lines connecting points of equal temp are called
isotherms
Wind machines can prevent surface air temps from reaching extremely low readings by
mixing surface air with air directly above