Best examples of investigating solar radiation on weather for science fairs

Real-world examples of investigating solar radiation on weather

Before you worry about fancy equipment, think like a weather scientist: where does sunlight hit, how much of it gets absorbed or reflected, and what does that do to air temperature, wind, and moisture? The best examples of investigating solar radiation on weather start with that simple chain of cause and effect.

One classic example of a student-friendly project is comparing air temperature over different surfaces in full sun. Blacktop, grass, bare soil, and water all absorb and release solar radiation differently. By placing identical thermometers a fixed height above each surface and recording temperatures every 10–15 minutes on a clear day, you can show how solar heating creates small-scale weather differences right in your schoolyard.

Another one of the best examples is monitoring how cloud cover changes the link between solar radiation and temperature. On a clear day, temperatures often rise quickly in the late morning; on a cloudy day, the curve is flatter. That contrast is a clean, visual way to show how solar radiation controls daytime weather.

Below are several detailed examples of investigating solar radiation on weather, each one designed to be realistic for a middle or high school science fair.

Examples of solar heating and local temperature patterns

Example of comparing sun vs. shade microclimates

If you want very clear data, this is one of the best examples. Set up two simple weather stations:

• One in full sun over grass
• One in deep shade under a tree or building overhang

Use the same type of thermometer (or digital weather sensor) at the same height above the ground. Record temperature, and if possible humidity, every 15–30 minutes from mid-morning to late afternoon on several days.

What you’re really measuring:

Solar radiation directly heats the ground and nearby air in the sunlit area, while the shaded area gets mostly indirect, scattered light. That difference in incoming solar energy shows up as a temperature gap between the two sites. On calm, clear days, the sunlit site might be 5–15 °F warmer than the shaded site by mid-afternoon.

This project is a textbook example of investigating solar radiation on weather because you can clearly connect a change in sunlight to a measurable change in local weather conditions.

Example of tracking diurnal (day–night) temperature cycles

Solar radiation doesn’t just warm the air; it sets the daily rhythm of heating and cooling. In this project, you log temperature every hour for at least 24 hours, ideally over several days. A cheap digital data logger or a home weather station makes this much easier, but you can do it by hand if you’re determined.

You’ll typically see:

• Minimum temperature just after sunrise
• Rapid warming during the morning as solar radiation increases
• Peak temperature mid- to late afternoon, even though the sun is past its highest point
• Gradual cooling after sunset as the ground loses heat back to space

If you overlay your temperature data with sunrise and sunset times from the National Weather Service (weather.gov) or NOAA (noaa.gov), you get a clean demonstration of how incoming and outgoing radiation shape daily weather.

This is one of the simplest examples of investigating solar radiation on weather that still feels like real meteorology.

Examples include surface albedo and urban heat island projects

Example of measuring albedo with different surfaces

Albedo is the fraction of solar radiation a surface reflects. Snow has a high albedo (very reflective), while dark asphalt has a low albedo (very absorbing). Changing albedo changes how much solar energy becomes heat.

For a school-level experiment, you can:

• Place identical thermometers above different surfaces: white paper, black paper, aluminum foil, grass, soil, asphalt.
• Expose them to direct sunlight for a set period (for example, 30 minutes at midday).
• Record starting and ending temperatures.

If you can borrow or build a simple light sensor (even from a microcontroller kit), you can measure reflected light from each surface to estimate relative albedo. You’ll see that darker surfaces heat the air above them more, which connects directly to how cities form urban heat islands.

NASA and NOAA have extensive material on albedo and climate; for background reading, check NASA’s climate site at climate.nasa.gov.

This setup is a strong example of investigating solar radiation on weather because it links surface color and material to air temperature, a core part of local weather.

Example of a backyard urban heat island study

Even if you don’t live downtown, you can still explore the urban heat island effect. This project is basically an extended version of the albedo experiment, but on a neighborhood scale.

You:

• Identify two or more locations: a paved parking lot, a residential street with trees, and a grassy park or field.
• Use the same thermometer (or sensor) at each site, measuring air temperature at the same height.
• Record temperatures at the same times of day (for example, 8 a.m., noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m.) over a week of mostly sunny weather.

You’ll likely find that paved, built-up areas stay warmer, especially in late afternoon and evening. This is partly because low-albedo surfaces absorb more solar radiation during the day and release that heat slowly.

Cities and health agencies like the CDC have been paying more attention to urban heat islands in 2023–2025 because of increasing heat waves and health risks. The CDC’s extreme heat page at cdc.gov explains why these temperature differences matter for people.

As science fair material, this is one of the best examples of connecting solar radiation, surface properties, and real human impacts on weather and comfort.

Cloud cover, solar radiation, and short-term weather

Example of comparing clear vs. cloudy day heating

You don’t need a pyranometer to see how clouds affect solar radiation. Instead, you can treat cloud cover as your independent variable and temperature as your outcome.

Plan to:

• Track temperature every 30–60 minutes from morning to evening on multiple clear days.
• Repeat the same schedule on multiple mostly cloudy days.
• Record cloud cover visually (for example, 0/8 clear, 4/8 partly cloudy, 8/8 overcast) using a simple scale.

When you graph temperature vs. time, clear days should show a sharper rise and higher afternoon peak than cloudy days, because clouds reflect and absorb incoming solar radiation. You can compare your graphs to satellite-based cloud and radiation data from NOAA or NASA’s CERES project, but that’s optional.

This is another example of investigating solar radiation on weather that feels very close to how professional meteorologists work. They routinely connect cloud cover to temperature forecasts using the same logic you’re applying in your data.

Example of solar radiation and sea breeze formation (coastal students)

If you live near a coast or a large lake, you have a natural laboratory for solar-driven winds. A sea breeze (or lake breeze) is a local wind that develops when land heats faster than water under sunlight.

In this project, you:

• Measure air temperature over land near the shore and, if possible, over the water or right at the waterline.
• Record wind direction and approximate speed using a simple wind vane and homemade anemometer, or a small weather station.
• Focus on sunny days from late morning through afternoon.

You should see land temperatures rise more quickly than water temperatures. That temperature contrast (created by different responses to solar radiation) changes air pressure slightly and draws cooler air from over the water inland as a breeze.

This is one of the more advanced examples of investigating solar radiation on weather, because you’re linking radiation, temperature, pressure, and wind into a single story.

Advanced examples of investigating solar radiation on weather for high school

Example of using satellite data to study seasonal solar changes

For students comfortable with data analysis, you can skip the backyard and go straight to satellites. Agencies like NASA and NOAA provide open data on solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere and at Earth’s surface.

A high-level project could:

• Download monthly average solar radiation data for your region across different seasons.
• Compare it with average monthly temperature and cloud cover from a local weather station (via weather.gov).
• Look for patterns: higher solar input in summer, lower in winter, and how that lines up with temperature swings.

This is a clean example of investigating solar radiation on weather using big data instead of physical instruments. It also connects your project to ongoing climate research, including how shifting cloud patterns and greenhouse gases modify the relationship between solar input and surface temperature.

Example of modeling solar radiation and heat waves (2024–2025 trend)

The last few years have brought record-breaking heat waves in many parts of the world, and scientists are paying close attention to how solar radiation interacts with soil moisture, humidity, and urbanization.

For a science fair project, you might:

• Gather historical data for a major heat wave in your area: daily maximum temperature, cloud cover, and if available, solar radiation estimates.
• Compare those days to a “normal” period in the same month from an earlier year.
• Analyze how clear skies and strong solar input, combined with dry soils or urban surfaces, amplified the heat.

NOAA’s climate data tools at ncei.noaa.gov are a good starting point. This project is one of the best examples of taking the idea of investigating solar radiation on weather and plugging it directly into a real-world, current issue that judges will immediately recognize.

Designing your own project: turning examples into experiments

All of these examples of investigating solar radiation on weather share a similar structure:

• A clear change in solar energy (sun vs. shade, clear vs. cloudy, dark vs. light surfaces, land vs. water)
• A measurable weather response (temperature, wind, humidity, or cloud development)
• A way to control other variables as much as possible (same instrument, same height, same times of day, repeated trials)

When you design your own experiment, start by deciding which part of the solar–weather chain you want to focus on. If you care about human comfort and health, urban heat island and shade studies are excellent. If you’re more interested in pure physics, albedo and diurnal cycles are better fits.

Use the real examples above as templates, not scripts. You can mix ideas: compare sun vs. shade in an urban vs. rural location, or combine albedo measurements with a heat wave case study. As long as you can clearly explain how solar radiation is changing and how that change affects local weather, you’re on solid scientific ground.

FAQ: examples of student projects on solar radiation and weather

Q: What are some easy examples of investigating solar radiation on weather for middle school?

Good starter projects include comparing temperature in sun vs. shade, measuring how fast different colored surfaces heat up in sunlight, or tracking how daily temperature changes from sunrise to sunset on clear days. These require only basic thermometers and a notebook.

Q: What is one advanced example of a high school project on solar radiation and weather?

A strong advanced example is using satellite and weather station data to compare seasonal solar radiation and temperature trends, or to analyze a recent heat wave. You can show how unusually strong solar input combined with dry conditions and urban surfaces led to higher-than-normal temperatures.

Q: Do I need special equipment to investigate solar radiation?

You don’t. Direct solar radiation sensors are helpful but not mandatory. Most student projects use temperature, humidity, and wind measurements as indirect indicators of how solar energy is affecting the local atmosphere.

Q: How many days of data should I collect for a good project?

Aim for at least a week of data, and more if you can manage it. The best examples of science fair projects on solar radiation and weather show patterns over time, not just a single sunny afternoon.

Q: Where can I find reliable background information on solar radiation and climate?

Authoritative sources include NASA’s climate site, NOAA’s National Weather Service and National Centers for Environmental Information, and university meteorology departments. These organizations provide clear explanations and real datasets you can cite in your report.