Why is there less variation in temperature at the equator than higher latitudes and why is the effect of the season not experienced in the equatorial region?
When the sun's rays strike Earth's surface near the equator, the incoming solar radiation is more direct (nearly perpendicular or closer to a 90˚ angle). Therefore, the solar radiation is concentrated over a smaller surface area, causing warmer temperatures. In the equatorial region, the heat received by the sun is almost the same throughout the year leading to no significant change in the climatic conditions of the region. Therefore, the effect of the seasons is not experienced in the Equatorial region. Places near the equator experience maximum heat from the sun and therefore, experiencing warm to hot temperatures all the year except in hilly areas. The warm to hot temperatures lead to high moisture content in the atmosphere which results into high precipitation with two peaks of rainfall or bimodal rainfall. Since the equator's position relative to the sun hardly changes, the concept of seasons has less meaning at zero latitude. The most notable division in season isn't between hot and cold but between wet and dry. Equatorial regions tend toward the tropical.
In the equatorial region, the heat received by the sun is almost the same throughout the year leading to no significant change in the climatic conditions of the region. Therefore, the effect of the seasons is not experienced in the Equatorial region. The daily range of temperature is between 10 degrees celsius. So the winter season is absent in the equatorial region. The Equatorial region has no other season except summer. At the equator, the Sun's rays are most direct. This is where temperatures are highest. At higher latitudes, the Sun's rays are less direct. The farther an area is from the equator, the lower its temperature. Equatorial regions experience only small seasonal changes in temperature due to the relatively constant angle between these regions and the sun. The figure on the right shows how seasons are determined by the tilt of the earth's rotational axis and the orbit of the earth around the sun. As you move away from the equator towards the poles, the earth's surface becomes more angled to the incoming sunlight due to the spherical shape of the earth. Because of this, the intensity of sunlight received decreases as we move from the equator to poles. Hence, temperature decreases as latitude increases. The pole is found to be hotter than the equator by 96° ± 18° or 86° ± 16°, depending upon the choice of the values of the continuous absorption coefficients. There is a relationship between latitude and temperature around the world, as temperatures are typically warmer approaching the Equator and cooler approaching the Poles. There are variations, though, as other factors such as elevation, ocean currents, and precipitation affect climate patterns.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Physical Sciences
- Materials Science
- Materials
- Inorganic Materials
- Ceramics
- Glass