What is Diurnal Variation?

Diurnal variation refers specifically to the differences in temperature that occur between daytime and nighttime. This phenomenon is primarily due to solar heating during the day and the loss of heat at night when the sun sets. The Earth's surface absorbs heat from the sun, causing temperatures to rise during the daytime. Conversely, at night, the absence of solar radiation leads to cooling as the heat dissipates into the atmosphere.

This variation is significant in meteorology and has implications for weather patterns, climate studies, and even aviation operations, as changes in temperature can affect air density and aircraft performance. The understanding of diurnal variations is crucial for those involved in air traffic management and dispatch, making it an important concept in the context of this exam.

While humidity variations, overnight wind patterns, and seasonal temperature changes are all important meteorological concepts, they do not define diurnal variation and, therefore, are not the correct choices in this case.