Is the equator the hottest part of the Earth and why is higher humidity found around the equator instead of around the poles?
Hello Dr Rakesh,
The moisture holding capacity of warm air is high. The warmer the air the more moisture (water) it contains. Also the evaporation near the equator is also high because of high insolation. These factors results in high humidity in equatorial region. However you have experienced dryness during the winters. This is because the moisture holding capacity of air decreases during cold periods.
This high humidity means that places on the equator are not the hottest in the world, despite being closest to the sun. The water in the air cools the temperature. In fact Earth's orbit around the sun and its rotation on a tilted axis causes some parts of Earth to receive more solar radiation than others. This uneven heating produces global circulation patterns. As, the abundance of energy reaching the equator produces hot humid air that raises high into the atmosphere. The climate near the equator is usually hot and humid because the sun's rays hit the earth directly at this latitude. The seasons are also less pronounced near the equator because the earth's tilt is not as pronounced. Earth's orbit around the sun and its rotation on a tilted axis causes some parts of Earth to receive more solar radiation than others. This uneven heating produces global circulation patterns. For example, the abundance of energy reaching the equator produces hot humid air that raises high into the atmosphere. Because the Earth is nearly round, the equator receives direct light, and the poles receive slanted light, with a gradation in between. Due to the differential heating of the Earth's surface (unequal heating of all regions), it is always warmer at the equator than at the poles. The rainfall is very heavy and distributed throughout the year. This region also received a sufficient amount of sunshine for all these the humidity level is very high in this region.
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