Part 1: Observation
1. Time 303pm Date _2/9/2021_Sky Conditions __scatter cloud mostly clear with some
sun
2. Location __Schofield Barracks Hawaii______________________
3. Survey your area visually. Imagine walking around the area in bare feet.
Which surfaces would you prefer to walk on? I prefer to walk on Grass
Which do you think would be coolest? The coolest to walk on would be grass as it wouldn’t heat
up like the pavement
which would you avoid because you imagine they would be too hot? I would avoid the road as
pavement seems to be hotter to touch_
If the area received a light rain, how do you think that would affect the surface temperature?
When it rains it cools the pavement and make it able to walk on with bare feet without having
hot to touch.
Part 2: Measurement
.
Ambient Air Temperature
3. shade is best. Blocked from the wind is best. We will assume this is a close
approximation of ambient air temperature.
Take the following temperature measurements:
Temperature Profile to determine Heat Flow near the Surface
4. ____43.7_____ bare, dry soil in direct sunlight
5. ____36.2 about 1 cm (1/2 inch) below the soil surface (same or adjacent location as 4)
6. ___34.2______ about 7 cm (3 inches) below the soil surface (same or adjacent location
as 4)
Albedo, Surface Characteristics, and Surface Temperature
7. __38.5______ sunlit side of tree trunk
8. __36.9______ shaded grassy area
9. __25.7______ sunlit grassy area
10. __41.5______ shaded concrete
11. __28.3______ sunlit concrete
12. __46.0______ sunlit asphalt
Effect of Evaporation on Temperature
For this measurement, we will measure the temperature of an open surface exposed to sunlight,
then mist it with water, wait until the water evaporates away and then measure the temperature
again.
13. ___44.3_____ concrete in sunlight before wetting
14. ___39.1_____ concrete after water has evaporated
15. ___35.7_____ tree trunk in sunlight before wetting
16. ___33.6_____ tree trunk after water has evaporated
Clouds and Greenhouse Warming
17. __4.8______ large patch of blue sky overhead
18. __19.8______ base of large area of cumulus clouds as high overhead as possible
19. __16.7______ thin high clouds (if available, just put N/A if no thin clouds)
Other
Feel free to play around the the instrument, there are lots of interesting variations in temperature
in the environment. Try measuring your skin at different places. Where is it hotter and cooler?
Part 3: Discussion
Answer the following questions based on your measurements and the background information
given at the beginning of this lab. Some of the answers will be speculative so do not be afraid to
use your imagination, in other words - guess.
Sun and Shade
20. How many degrees warmer was the sunlight area than the shaded area of the: a) tree
trunk ___11.6__, b) grass _____11.2 _, and c) concrete ____13.2_______?
21. Which surface had the greatest difference in temperature between sunny and shaded
areas? __concrete___________ Speculate: Why you think that surface was heated the
most by direct sunlight? __because it absorbs more heat from the sun rays__________
22. Speculate: Why you think there was a difference in the amount of warming by sunlight
for the different surfaces. What physical characteristics of the surfaces could be
responsible for the difference? Use reason and imagination in answering. ___some areas
are in direct sunlight and others are not.____________________
Temperature Profile
23. In nature, heat flows from warmer areas toward colder areas. Based on your
measurements in 3 and 4, where is the higher temperature - at the surface (#4) or the air
above the surface (#3)? __because it is directly in the sun light_____ Based on this result,
which direction is heat flowing - from the surface upward into the air, or from the air
downward to the surface? _upward into the air ____________ Remember, heat flows
from warmer areas toward cooler areas.
24. Based on your answer above, during the day, does the ground heat the air or does the air
heat the ground? __ground heats the air___________
25. Based on your measurements in #4, #5, and #6, where is the higher temperature - at the
surface or the soil below the surface? __at the surface_________ Based on this result,
which direction is heat flowing - from the surface downward into the soil, or from the soil
upward toward the surface ___upward from the soil__________? Remember, heat flows
from warmer areas toward cooler areas.
26. Assume that, at night, the bare soil surface temperature falls to 20 oC (68 oF) and the
temperatures below the surface that you measured in #5 and #6 remain the same. Under
these conditions at night, which direction will heat flow - from the surface downward into
the soil, or from the soil upward to the surface? _upward to the surface from the soil_
Explain your answer, why is heat flowing that direction at night? The soil absorbs the
heat from the sun, making the soil warmer than the surface.___
Albedo
27. Which surface was hotter, concrete or asphalt? _Asphalt_______________ Which was
darker? ___asphalt_________________
28. Do you think darker or lighter surfaces will be hotter in general?
___darker_____________ Why? ___dark objects absorbs heat faster_____
Effect of Evaporation
29. How many degrees did wetting cool the concrete?_5.1_____________ How many
degrees did wetting cool the tree trunk? ______2.1________ What caused the
temperature to drop? _water will leave protection on the plants____ (Do not say "it got
wet," state the physical process that caused the cooling)
30. Did concrete or the tree trunk cool more when wet? _concrete__ Why do you think there
was a difference? _concrete absorbs water _______________
31. Compare your measurements of the sunlit, open grass (#9) and bare, dry soil (#4) areas,
which was hotter? ___dry soil ______ Both are exposed to the same amount of sunlight,
and grass has a lower albedo than bare soil, so why do you think there was a difference in
temperature? _soil can heat up quickly in direct sunlight_
Urban Heat Island
32. Which surface was hotter, grass or asphalt? _Asphalt___ Why do you think it was the
hottest? _because it is darker so no evaporation happens. _____
33. Ever hear of an "urban heat island?" The phrase refers to the observation that urban (city)
areas are almost always hotter than the surrounding rural (country) areas. Based on your
measurements and answers above, give two reasons that urban areas might be hotter than
rural areas.
First Reason: ___more activity by people _
Second Reason: ____more use of burning gas and people using more energy____
Application
34. There was a lot of variation in the surface temperature measurements. Under what
conditions would you expect all of your measurements to be approximately the same?
__suring the same time of day withte same weather conditions_________
35. Compare your surface temperature measurements to your initial beliefs given in #2
above. Did the measurements prove you right for the coolest and hottest surfaces?
____yes______
If not, what were the differences? _________________
36. Many plants and animals cannot tolerate uncontrolled temperature fluctuations caused by
direct sunlight exposure. Based on the various measurements you took in this exercise,
suggest at least three (3) ways that plants and animals might reduce their surface heating
due to direct sunlight. (HINT: which measurements had the lowest temperatures?).
___shaded grass____________
____shaded concrete __________
____ a big tree at the park _______
Sky
37. Which was warmer, cloud or clear sky? _clear sky ____________ Clouds can have an
important effect Earth's surface temperature. Based on your measurements, do you think
the surface would be warmer at night under clouds or clear sky? _under the night
clouds__Explain your reasoning. _because it is cooler at night_______________
38. Clouds have a major effect on planetary temperatures by influencing the amount of
sunlight absorbed and reflected by the planet and through an analog with the so-called
greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect traps heat in a planet's atmosphere. From the
surface, the greater the greenhouse effect, the warmer the sky appears. Based on this
information and your measurements, do you think that more clouds would increase or
decrease the planetary greenhouse effect? _it would have a positive
affect_____________________
Explain your reasoning _with some clouds it helps shade some things and cool it but it
also helps keep some heat in_.
39. What was the difference in degrees between the air temperature (#3) and the cloud base
temperature (#18)? ____7.1____________
Under dry conditions, rising air cools at about about 10 oC per kilometer (5.5 oF per
1000 ft). Based on this information, how high would the surface air have to rise to match
the cloud base temperature that you measured? ______.71__ (HINT: subtract cloud
temperature from surface air temperature (#3) and divide by either 10 oC or 5.5 oF,
depending on the units you are using.)
