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Changes in sunshine duration are correlated with changes in daily temperature range this century: An analysis of Swiss climatological data
Author(s) -
Rebetez Martine,
Beniston Martin
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/98gl02810
Subject(s) - sunshine duration , cloud cover , elevation (ballistics) , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , climatology , range (aeronautics) , boundary layer , meteorology , geology , geography , relative humidity , cloud computing , physics , materials science , astronomy , computer science , composite material , thermodynamics , operating system
Analyses of the relationship between trends in daily temperature range and those of sunshine duration in the Swiss Alps show a strong correlation at lower elevation sites. The decrease in daily temperature range is associated with a corresponding decrease in sunshine duration. At high elevations, however, this relationship is absent. The decrease in daily temperature range observed this century at lower elevation sites is inferred to be a consequence of an increase in low‐level cloudiness. Higher elevation sites lie above the low‐level cloud layers and the moisture‐laden lower atmospheric boundary layer and as a result do not exhibit the same trends.