atmosphere and weather research for geography paper

atmosphere and weather research for geography paper

• 1.
  Geography atmosphere and weather
• 2.
  Latitude • Latitude • Greatamounts of energy are required for the massive movements of the air in the atmosphere and for the exchange of heat and moisture between the atmosphere and Earth’s land and water surfaces that are the essence of weather and climate. This energy comes from the Sun. Incoming solar radiation, or insolation, is not evenly distributed. Much more is received in the low latitudes, near the Equator, than in the high latitudes, near the poles. This is mainly because latitude, the primary control of climate, determines the angle at which the Sun’s rays strike Earth’s surface. Latitude also determines the length of daylight, or the time during which solar energy reaches Earth at any angle. • Only in the tropics—those areas around the Equator between 23.5° N. latitude (the Tropic of Cancer) and 23.5° S. latitude (the Tropic of Capricorn)—does the Sun ever appear directly overhead. For that reason, only those areas ever receive the rays of the Sun vertically (at an angle of 90°). The average angle of the Sun’s rays decreases toward the poles. As a result, the solar energy is spread over a greater area at high latitudes than at low latitudes, and less solar energy reaches Earth’s surface at high latitudes because more is absorbed and reflected by the atmosphere. • The area on Earth where the Sun appears directly overhead at noon shifts north and south as the planet orbits the Sun, reaching the Tropic of Cancer at the June solstice and the Tropic of Capricorn at the December solstice. The zone of maximum insolation swings back and forth over the Equator along with the area where the Sun is directly overhead. Because of the additional heating from the longer periods of daylight toward the poles in summer, however, the zone of maximum insolation moves beyond the tropics to between 30° and 40° N. latitude in July and 30° and 40° S. latitude in January. • In the lower latitudes, Earth gains more heat by radiation from the Sun than it loses to space by radiation from Earth. In the higher latitudes, Earth gives off more heat than it receives from the Sun. This unequal heating and cooling would result in ever-increasing temperatures in the tropics and ever-decreasing temperatures in the polar regions if it were not for the continuous transfer of heat from low latitudes to high latitudes by winds and ocean currents
• 3.
  • The distancefrom the equator affects the climate of a place. At the poles, energy from the sun reaches the Earth's surface at lower angles and passes through a thicker layer of atmosphere than at the equator. This means the climate is cooler further from the Equator. The poles also experience the greatest difference between summer and winter day lengths: in the summer there is a period when the sun does not set at the poles; conversely the poles also experience a period of total darkness during winter. In contrast, day length varies little at the equator. • Latitude (or the position of earth relative to the Sun) has a marked effect on climatic elements. The angle at which rays of sunlight reach Earth and the number of Sun hours each day depends upon the distance of the Sun, from the equator. Therefore, the latitude directly influences the sources and direction of air masses and the weather they bring with them into a region • Latitude: position/passage of overhead sun over tropics, sun closer to south hemisphere in summer->hotter temperature, further from north hemisphere->colder temp (vice versa), • Usually affected by Sun’s angle and atmosphere thickness • Equator, more overhead (insolation/energy is better) than the poles (energy recieved is poor) • Poles more dust, atmosphere, aerosels + ice caps have a high amount of albedo/reflectivity than at the equator there is an → → excess, high amount of dark, dense vegetation absorbs more energy, less dust, atmosphere + aerosels → • Understanding the Impact of Latitude • Latitude is the measure of distance north or south from the equator, expressed in degrees. • The Equator, sitting at 0° latitude, receives the most intense sunlight due to its perpendicular positioning to the sun’s rays. • With increasing latitude, the sun's rays hit the Earth at more oblique angles, leading to a decrease in solar radiation intensity. • Effects on Temperature • Tropical regions near the equator experience consistently high temperatures, attributed to the direct and intense solar radiation received year-round. • Temperate zones, located at mid-latitudes, experience moderate temperatures with distinct seasonal changes, a result of varying solar angles through the year. • Polar regions at high latitudes receive low-intensity sunlight, leading to colder temperatures, compounded by long periods of darkness during winter months.