How do degrees of latitude relate to temperature and seasonal changes?
2 Answers
Due to spherical shape of Earth as we go north from the equator, the incident angle of sun light decreases...Orbital motion brings new areas to vertical sun light coverage.
Explanation:
We get maximum heat from sunlight when the incident angle is near 90 degrees.
As Earth travels around Sun different areas of north and south gets maximum sunlight..THis is reason for seasons Axial tilt.
Picture credit. abyssuorgon.edu.
The temperature changes mainly due to latitude and the tilt of the Earth's spin-axis..The tilt angle produces seasonal changes
Explanation:
The angle of incidence of solar rays, at a location, is the inclination of the solar rays to the vertical ( radius from the center of the Earth).
In the absence of the tilt of the Earth's axis, this angle will be nearly the latitude
The tilt produces an
annual range
The rate of change of angle of incidence of solar rays
At an equinox, this is
For example, it is #90^o-23.4^o=66.6^o, nearly, at the North Pole, on Summer Solstice and at South Pole, on winter Solstice... ..
The day-night spin produces the daily range in temperature at a location.
