Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere (MindTap Course List)
Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere (MindTap Course List)
8th Edition
ISBN: 9781305628458
Author: C. Donald Ahrens, Robert Henson
Publisher: Cengage Learning
Question
Chapter 3, Problem 1QFR
To determine

The reason why the warmest time of the day to be in the afternoon, even though the sun’s rays are most direct at noon.

Expert Solution & Answer
Check Mark

Answer to Problem 1QFR

The warmest time of the day is usually in the afternoon, even though the sun’s rays are most direct at noon because the rays of the sun are most intense in nature during the afternoon.

Explanation of Solution

In the afternoon, the intensity of the solar radiation decreases. Due to this, the amount of outgoing heat energy from the Earth surface increases for a time. This situation creates a yield in energy surplus for three to four hours in the afternoon and contributes to a lag between the time of maximum solar heating and the time of maximum temperature. There is a surplus of incoming solar radiation versus outgoing infrared radiation until the late afternoon.

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