Variations in Diurnal Temperature Range in the Southeast United States Due to Land Use/Land Cover Classification, 1995-2004

Daily temperature variations across an area can often be attributed to differences in land use/land cover (LULC). This study focuses on the relationships between the diurnal temperature ranges (DTRs) of 145 weather stations, classified as urban, agriculture, evergreen forests, deciduous forests, pine forests, and mixed forests. Paired samples t-tests were employed to test for significant DTR differences due to LULC type, season, and air mass type. Conflicting with previous research, agricultural areas reported the lowest DTRs, which may be due to the vegetation or to other physiographic variables. The forest types showed very few significant DTR differences. All of the LULC types experienced an annual bimodal DTR pattern, with peaks in April and October. Results of this study show that air mass has the largest influence on DTR (over LULC and season), therefore, the annual variability of air mass occurrence is most likely cause of the bimodal pattern