Vertical dimensions of seasonal trends in the diurnal temperature range across the central United States

Robert Balling; Randall Cerveny

doi:10.1029/2003GL017776

Vertical dimensions of seasonal trends in the diurnal temperature range across the central United States

Robert Balling, Randall Cerveny

Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, School of (SGSUP)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Many investigators have used near-surface air temperature measurements to document a downward global trend in the diurnal temperature range (DTR). In this paper, we use radiosonde-based tropospheric measurements to examine vertical dimensions in trends in the DTR over the central United States. We find declining trends in DTR only at 85 kPa and the surface in the high-sun season, with the absolute trend at 85 kPa being greater than the trend at the surface suggesting that the trend in DTR is far more than an urban artifact in the data. There are no significant trends in DTR from 70 kPa to 25 kPa in any season. These results suggest that DTR trends in the low troposphere are likely influenced by near-surface processes such as variations in cloudiness, vegetation, or precipitation but not dominated by urban effects.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	CLM 1-1 - 1-3
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	30
Issue number	17
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2003GL017776
State	Published - Sep 1 2003

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geophysics
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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10.1029/2003GL017776

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title = "Vertical dimensions of seasonal trends in the diurnal temperature range across the central United States",

abstract = "Many investigators have used near-surface air temperature measurements to document a downward global trend in the diurnal temperature range (DTR). In this paper, we use radiosonde-based tropospheric measurements to examine vertical dimensions in trends in the DTR over the central United States. We find declining trends in DTR only at 85 kPa and the surface in the high-sun season, with the absolute trend at 85 kPa being greater than the trend at the surface suggesting that the trend in DTR is far more than an urban artifact in the data. There are no significant trends in DTR from 70 kPa to 25 kPa in any season. These results suggest that DTR trends in the low troposphere are likely influenced by near-surface processes such as variations in cloudiness, vegetation, or precipitation but not dominated by urban effects.",

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AB - Many investigators have used near-surface air temperature measurements to document a downward global trend in the diurnal temperature range (DTR). In this paper, we use radiosonde-based tropospheric measurements to examine vertical dimensions in trends in the DTR over the central United States. We find declining trends in DTR only at 85 kPa and the surface in the high-sun season, with the absolute trend at 85 kPa being greater than the trend at the surface suggesting that the trend in DTR is far more than an urban artifact in the data. There are no significant trends in DTR from 70 kPa to 25 kPa in any season. These results suggest that DTR trends in the low troposphere are likely influenced by near-surface processes such as variations in cloudiness, vegetation, or precipitation but not dominated by urban effects.

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Vertical dimensions of seasonal trends in the diurnal temperature range across the central United States

Abstract

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