diurnal temperature range

The range of diurnal temperature variation is also important; the best net photosynthesis is related to a large diurnal temperature range, or high daytime and low nighttime temperatures. Knowledge of the difference between leaf and air temperatures aids farmers in adopting protective measures. In middle and high latitudes,…

The diurnal range of temperature generally increases with distance from the sea and toward those places where solar radiation is strongest—in dry tropical climates and on high mountain plateaus (owing to the reduced thickness of the atmosphere to be traversed…

The variation is greatest very close to the ground and occurs because the thin, dry atmosphere allows the surface to radiate its heat quickly during the night. During dust storms this ability is impaired, and the temperature swing is reduced. Above altitudes of a few kilometers,…