Global Advanced Research Journal of Physical and Applied Sciences (GARJPAS)

September 2015 Vol. 4(1), pp. 051-056
Copyright © 2015 Global Advanced Research Journals

Original Research Paper

Empirical study of the temporal variation of a tropical surface temperature on hourly time integration

Olumuyiwa A. Alao, Isaac R. Ajayi, Olawumi R. Kaka

O. A. Alao is with the Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

I. R. Ajayi is with Department of Physics, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State,

Nigeria

O. R. Kaka is with the Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria

Corresponding author Email: alaooa@ abuad.edu.ng       

Accepted 11 September, 2015

Abstract

This work investigates the daily temperature variation as an important factor of the solar energy striking the earth’s surface each morning. Literature records that a shallow layer of air directly above the ground is heated by conduction and heat exchange between this shallow layer of warm air and cooler above is not sufficient enough. On regular days when the clouds are clear, air temperature vary by 77⁰F (25⁰C) from just above the ground to waist height. Incoming solar radiation exceed outgoing heat energy for many hours after noon and equilibrium is usually reached at mostly 91.4⁰F (33⁰C), observed as unusually very high. These characteristics are inferred by variety of different factors such as large bodies of water, soil type and cover, wind cloud cover/ water vapor, and moisture on the ground. The temperature variations are greatest very near the earth’s surface which was represented by time aided characteristics in this region of study. However, sunny days are found to typically have high records of diurnal temperature variations. Nonetheless, low lying humid area in the vicinity of study have the least of variations. This explains why the tropics used in this study have high temperatures of up to 100⁰F (38⁰C) by 1.00pm on bright sunny days and have lows of 69.8⁰F – 82.4⁰F (21⁰C – 28⁰C) under raining situations.

Keywords: Geo – Spatiotemporal, Temperature, Temporal, Time integration