Climatology of the daily temperature range annual cycle in the United States

Abstract

Many researchers are presently interested in detecting long-term trends in annual or seasonal daily temperature range (DTR), and attributing these changes to anthropogenic origins. However, very little work has been done to confirm the mechanisms that are important to determining the long-term average annual cycle of the DTR. Therefore, the focus of this work is to examine the spatial and temporal difference in the DTR average annual cycle across the United States, and to associate the patterns of these cycles with potential causal variables. Three major types of DTR annual cycle exist in the United States: high sun season maximum (northern and western U.S.), low sun season maximum (south central and southeast U.S.), and transitional season maxima (middle latitude in the U.S.). The annual cycles of the DTR in the northern and western U.S. are well related to average annual cycles of cloud cover and dew point temperature; only areas to the west of the Rocky Mountains have a strong linkage between DTR and precipitation frequency annual cycles. Across the northern tier of the U.S., the loss of snow cover is important to DTR transitions during the spring season. However, the onset of snow cover in the fall does not appear to be the major factor in DTR variations, which are instead more strongly associated with cloud cover effects. As expected from their sinusoidal annual cycle, maximum and minimum temperature cycles are linearly related to the DTR in regions with a warm season or cold season DTR maximum, while non-linear relationships exist where the DTR annual cycle has maxima in the transition seasons.

Crack propagation by differential insolation on desert surface clasts

“…Diurnal air temperature variations of at least 24°C are possible (Leathers et al, 1998, data for Wilcox, AZ) in near-surface desert environments, with even higher values possible within surface clasts. This variation causes surface clasts to expand and contract, generating mechanical stresses within the rock.…”

Impacts of irrigation on 20th century temperature in the northern Great Plains

“…Robinson et al (1995) and Leathers et al (1998) demonstrated large-scale changes in DTR are associated with seasonal progression. It is suggested earlier in this paper that the decreases in daytime mean maximum temperature and DTR in irrigated locations are related to greater evapotranspiration and a larger amount of energy partitioning to latent heat.…”

Diurnal temperature range and short-term mortality in large US communities

“…The study area (Montreal, Canada) experienced relatively greater DTR (up to 28.1°C) than Asian regions (up to 16°C) (Kan et al 2007). Spatial and temporal DTR variability may be caused by land use type (Scheitlin and Dixon 2010;Bonan 2001;Gallo et al 1996), season (Durre and Wallace 2001a, b;Leathers et al 1998), latitude (Durre and Wallace 2001b;Leathers et al 1998), water vapor (Sun et al 2006), and air mass type (Scheitlin and Dixon 2010). Accounting for DTR variability across the nation, it is important to investigate the association between DTR and mortality in the USA.…”