Name ____________________________________________
Lab
ES1706
How Does the Temperature at One Location Change Over a Year?
Purpose
You will explore animations of insolation and global surface temperature over a year. You will
discover that temperature is strongly influenced by insolation, resulting in seasonal temperature
changes, yet other factors affect the observed temperature as well. You will quantify the effects
of elevation on temperature for locations at similar latitudes, and also examine temperatures
for locations at similar latitudes and elevations differing only in the locations' proximity to a
coastline.
Materials
Internet Explorer browser
Background
If incoming solar radiation were the sole factor controlling surface temperature, all locations at
the same latitude would have the same temperature. The complexity of observed surface
temperatures provides evidence that several factors besides insolation are at work. After
investigating factors that control temperature, you may want to analyze daily temperatures,
weather conditions, and hours of daylight for your location over an extended period of time
(perhaps a year). This data would reveal factors that control seasonal temperature changes at a
single location.
Procedure A
1. Brainstorm a list of factors that might influence the temperature of a location.
2. What do you think causes the systematic shift of radiation and temperature bands through the
year?
3. Write a statement that describes the relationship between temperature and elevation.
I hereby declare upon my word of honor that I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid on
this work.
______________________________________________________
Name ____________________________________________
Lab
ES1706
4. Look at the trend line through the scatter plot. What is the approximate change in temperature
for every 1000 foot (ft) increase in elevation?
5. Shrine Pass is about 75 miles west of Denver at an elevation of 11,050 ft above sea level (about
6,000 ft higher than Denver). If the temperature in Denver is 82°F, predict the temperature at
Shrine Pass.
6. What might be responsible for the observed difference in temperature between the coastal
cities and the valley cities?
7. Find the average temperature for marked cities in the central valley.
8. Find the average temperature for marked cities along the California coast.
9. What is the difference in average temperatures for cities in the central valley and along the
coast?
10. Predict how temperature difference between valley and coastal cities might change during
winter months. Explain your reasoning.
11. List at least one other factor that might control temperature. Describe how you might quantify
it.
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