In mid-latitude regions, the diurnal variation in weather is due to

In mid-latitude regions, the diurnal variation in weather is due to

raising air/convection
sinking air/conduction
advection
radiation
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UPSC CAPF – 2018
In mid-latitude regions, the primary driver of diurnal variation in weather is radiation.
Diurnal variation refers to the changes in weather elements (like temperature, humidity, wind, cloudiness) that occur over a 24-hour cycle. This cycle is fundamentally driven by the daily pattern of incoming solar radiation and outgoing terrestrial radiation. During the day, solar radiation heats the surface and atmosphere; at night, the Earth cools by emitting long-wave radiation. This daily heating and cooling cycle directly causes the diurnal temperature range and indirectly influences other diurnal patterns like convection (daytime heating leads to rising air and potential thunderstorms) or fog formation (nighttime cooling leads to condensation). While convection, conduction, and advection play roles in weather, radiation is the primary cause of the day-night difference that defines diurnal variation.
Advection, the horizontal movement of air masses, is a major cause of *weather changes* over periods longer than a day (synoptic scale), but the recurring daily cycle is primarily governed by the Earth’s rotation relative to the sun and the resulting radiative balance.
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