Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze hygrothermal data at two locations in the semiarid region of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte—RN, comparing one mountainous area (062545 S and 370018 W) with one area of depression (062543 S and 370458 W) in order to discover a vertical temperature gradient while also identifying the climatic differences that altitude brings about in a semiarid region. To do this, two automatic thermo-hygrometers were used, which recorded temperature and relative humidity data 24 h.d–1 during the dry season. Statistical techniques for measuring the central tendency and dispersion were used and the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was used to analyze the temporal and spatial correlation between temperature, humidity, and altitude. The temperature in the mountains was milder and the relative humidity was higher than in areas of depression and the vertical temperature gradient was found to be 0.95C/100 m. These results indicate that the mountains, or high-altitude wetlands, may truly be considered “oases” of cool, humid air compared to the prevailing hot, dry climate in the surrounding depression, making their conservation and preservation of the utmost importance from the perspective of the environment and from that of the development of different human activities.