What makes the desert cold at night?

2024-02-01 2024-02-01T10:19:01Z

Arabia Weather - In movies, you usually notice that when the hero takes a rest under the starlit sky, he carefully covers himself using a heavy blanket, and this scene can raise questions, especially when looking at the nature of deserts and expecting them to have high temperatures.

Deserts are famous for their intense heat during the day, but few people realize the sudden turn these areas witness to extreme cold during the night. This phenomenon can be similar to the planet Mercury, which is the closest planet to the sun. At night, its temperature drops to -170 degrees Celsius . While it rises to 450 degrees Celsius during the day, this large temperature variation is due to the absence of an atmosphere around Mercury, which makes it unable to retain heat when the sun sets, and thus its surface is exposed to a sharp drop in temperature.

But why does this phenomenon occur in the desert?

Sand causes air heating

Sand, by its distinctive nature, plays a vital role in heating the air above it during the day, as sand is characterized by its dryness and slipperiness, and the large size of its particles, which prevents effective absorption of water. These characteristics contribute to its inability to absorb heat well, which leads to desert temperatures rising significantly. during the day.

When sand is exposed to sunlight, it does not absorb heat directly, but rather acts as a mirror that reflects the radiation, heating the surrounding air above its surface. In contrast, other terrains such as forests and plains do not release all their heat to the air in the same way, which makes them less hot than deserts. Hence, it was Explaining why deserts are hot during the day, but how can we explain the cold weather at night?

What makes the desert cold at night?

As everyone knows, water is excellent at absorbing and retaining heat, and in normal terrain, when the sun's rays heat the earth, the earth absorbs a large amount of heat and at night, when the sun disappears, the radiant heat from the earth is absorbed by the water (or moisture) in The air above the ground, where the air is moist.

However, in deserts, the rule changes completely . How so?

When the sun sets, and the Earth loses heat through radiation, the air above the Earth loses the ability to retain that heat, because that air is not humid, which is why heat is lost so quickly, causing temperatures to drop dramatically at night.

In addition, deserts lack dense cloud cover, which makes maintaining heat above ground more difficult. As heat escapes from the ground, leaving behind an unforgiving cold.

Amazing facts about deserts... Not all deserts are cold at night

The coolness of deserts at night is a phenomenon closely related to factors such as humidity, clouds, and wind directions. Contrary to popular belief, not all deserts differ in their ability to absorb moisture. Places such as Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates appear more humid than other deserts, which leads to some heat being retained in the air. Night thanks to its humid air.

Not all deserts are hot

When the term “desert” comes to mind, you may imagine images of areas devoid of vegetation and covered in sand, but reality proves that the desert is not always hot. The stunning image of the Arctic desert shows this phenomenon, as it is characterized by low temperatures and is covered in ice.

The lack of precipitation or even the presence of other forms of moisture precipitation, such as snow and frost, characterize deserts and in this context, Antarctica, with temperatures reaching -75°C , is considered among the driest deserts on Earth.

Therefore, for those who plan to camp in the desert, it is advisable to research the weather forecast in the area in advance, as the experience may differ completely, and the nights in some deserts may be warmer than some people think.