KEY WEST 



FT. MEYERS • • 



MIAMI A- A 



90- 



85- 



*S 80- 



> 



~ 75 

 •o 



I™ 



X 



65 

 > 



~ 60- 

 ra 

 i) 

 a. 55- 



50- 



45- 



I I l l 



0100 07:00 13:00 1900 



Hours (EST) 



April 



90- 



85- 



g80- 



i75H 



■D 



J 70- 



X 



65H 

 tt> 



~60- 



4) 



a. 55- 



50- 

 45 



I i I l 



0100 0700 13:00 19:00 



Hours (EST) 



September 



Figure 16. Diurnal patterns in relative humidity over south Florida in 



April and September (adapted from USDC 1981a, 1981b, 1981c), 



solstice (when the angle of inci- 

 dence is least) because of increased 

 precipitation and cloud cover asso- 

 ciated with the beginning of south 

 Florida's wet season. 



As stated previously, the po- 

 tential incoming solar radiation is 

 approximately the same throughout 

 the basin. However, the insolation 

 (radiation reaching the ground/water 

 surface) varies in relation to local 

 atmospheric differences (Bamburg 

 1980). Table 7 shows climatic data 

 collected at Ft. Myers, Miami, and 

 Key West first-order stations. This 

 data represents either a direct 



measurement of incoming solar radia- 

 tion or observations which measure 

 the factors affecting the solar 

 energy's passage through the atmo- 

 sphere (Bradley 1972, USDC 1981a, 

 1981b, 1981c). The Miami Station is 

 located some 15 km (9 mi) inland, 

 thus it is assumed that this station 

 represents the characteristics of 

 the study area's more inland envi- 

 ronment (USDC 1981a). It is also 

 assumed that Ft. Myers and Key West 

 represent the coastal and island 

 environments, respectively, of the 

 basin. The coastal/island areas 



within the basin exhibit less cloud 

 cover and more clear days than 



37 



