Cloudy nights are warmer compared to clear cloudless nights, because clouds
- Aprevent cold waves from the sky from descending on Earth
- Breflect back heat given off by EarthCorrect
- Cproduce heat and radiate it towards Earth
- Dabsorb heat from the atmosphere and send it towards Earth
Explanation
The correct answer is B because of the process of terrestrial radiation. During the day, the Earth absorbs solar energy. At night, the Earth releases this energy back into space as infrared radiation or long-wave heat. On a clear night, this heat escapes easily into the upper atmosphere, cooling the surface. However, on a cloudy night, the clouds act like a blanket. They trap the outgoing terrestrial radiation and reflect it back toward the Earths surface, preventing it from escaping. This results in warmer temperatures compared to clear nights where the heat is lost to space.
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