Which phenomenon is often associated with the cooling of air in contact with a cold surface?

The phenomenon associated with the cooling of air in contact with a cold surface is known as radiational cooling. This process occurs when the Earth's surface loses heat through radiation, especially under clear skies during the night. As the surface cools, it transfers some of that heat to the air directly in contact with it, causing the air temperature to decrease. This cooling effect is most pronounced at night when the absence of sunlight allows surfaces to lose heat quickly.

Crowded surfaces, such as grass or soil, are particularly good at radiating heat away. As these surfaces cool, the adjacent air essentially "senses" this temperature drop, leading to a decrease in air temperature near the surface. Radiational cooling is a critical concept in meteorology as it influences local weather patterns, fog formation, and temperature inversions.

Understanding this principle is essential for predicting weather conditions, as radiational cooling can lead to colder night-time temperatures and may affect various atmospheric phenomena.