Why do temperatures change so sharply between day and night in the high Kunlun Mountains?

The sharp daily temperature fluctuations in the high Kunlun Mountains are primarily caused by their isolation from the moderating influences of the Indian and Pacific Ocean monsoons. Instead, the region is under the constant influence of a continental air mass, which drives significant diurnal temperature changes.1

At high elevations, the reduced amount of air overhead results in high atmospheric transparency, which enhances the receipt of solar radiation during the day. Conversely, the lack of dense atmosphere and moisture allows heat to escape rapidly at night. These extreme daily shifts create conditions of intense weathering from heat and frost, which produce large quantities of loose material in the high-elevation zones.21