How does the angle of sunlight affect the climate in different areas and how does the angle of the sunlight affect day and night?
Low sun angle goes with shorter days and cooler temperatures. The closer a place is to the equator, the higher the average sun angle is. That is why the tropics are, well, tropical. Similarly, the low average sun angle at high latitudes gives those places an Arctic climate
The solar elevation climate influences temperature, seasonality, day length, and the availability of solar energy. Different materials interact with sunlight in different ways impacting local climate conditions. The higher the solar elevation the longer and hotter the day is but if the elevation is lower, then the night will be longer and colder
Latitudes near the poles always receive the Sun's rays at lower angles, thus creating a colder climate. In the middle latitudes, the angle of the Sun's incoming rays varies from lower in the winter to higher in the summer, causing seasonal temperature changes. If the Sun is directly overhead (the angle of incidence of the Sun's rays to the surface is 90°), the shadow is of minimum size, and the sunlight is concentrated into a small area, the maximum amount of heating takes place, and higher temperatures result. The Earth's climate system depends entirely on the Sun for its energy. Solar radiation warms the atmosphere and is fundamental to atmospheric composition, while the distribution of solar heating across the planet produces global wind patterns and contributes to the formation of clouds, storms, and rainfall. Throughout the year, different parts of Earth receive the Sun's most direct rays. So, when the North Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere and when the South Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun has extremely important influences on our planet: It drives weather, ocean currents, seasons, and climate, and makes plant life possible through photosynthesis. Without the sun's heat and light, life on Earth would not exist. This tilting leads to a variation of solar energy that changes with latitude. This causes a seasonal variation in the intensity of sunlight reaching the surface and the number of hours of daylight. The variation in intensity results because the angle at which the sun's rays hit the Earth changes with time of year.The sun warms the planet, drives the hydrologic cycle, and makes life on Earth possible. The amount of sunlight received on Earth's surface is affected by the reflectivity of the surface, the angle of the sun, the output of the sun, and the cyclic variations of Earth's orbit around the sun. This apparent motion across the sky is due to the rotation of Earth. As Earth turns eastward on its axis, we move along with it, creating the illusion that the Sun moves through the sky over a day. The hemisphere that tilts toward the Sun receives more direct sunlight over a broader area, causing longer summer days. At the same time, the opposite hemisphere receives less direct sunlight over a smaller area, causing shorter winter days. The greater Earth's axial tilt angle, the more extreme our seasons are, as each hemisphere receives more solar radiation during its summer, when the hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, and less during winter, when it is tilted away. The tilt of the Earth's axis also defines the length of daylight. Daylight hours are shortest in each hemisphere's winter. Between summer and winter solstice, the number of daylight hours decreases, and the rate of decrease is larger the higher the latitude. The fewer sunlight hours the colder the nights. The pattern shows that the number of hours of daylight per day is higher in the summer and lower in the winter. This pattern is caused by the tilt of Earth's axis. At some points in Earth's orbit around the Sun, the tilt causes one hemisphere to lean toward the Sun while the other one is tilted away. As the Earth moves around the Sun it rotates on its axis, so we have day and night. The side of the Earth facing the Sun is bathed in light and heat (daytime). The side of the Earth facing away from the Sun, out towards space, is darker and colder (nighttime).
- Badges
- Science method