The lag of temperature behind solar radiation

Abstract

Abstract The annual march of air and sea surface temperatures has been examined by harmonic analysis and characterised by mean and amplitude and first harmonic value of phase. The phase has been expressed as the lag of temperature behind solar radiation and the data so obtained have been transferred to two world maps. A more detailed map relating to air temperatures over the United States is also given. Coastal stations are late in phase and inland basins are earliest. Western margins of the continents show a substantially later phase than eastern margins. This is associated with a tendency towards a late phase in the sea surface temperatures of the eastern sections of the oceans.