Download Effect of Latitude on Climate

Effect of Latitude on Climate
Dana Desonie, Ph.D.
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Printed: February 18, 2015
AUTHOR
Dana Desonie, Ph.D.
www.ck12.org
C HAPTER
Chapter 1. Effect of Latitude on Climate
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Effect of Latitude on
Climate
• Describe how latitude influences a region’s climate.
Do you want to be a Snowbird?
A Snowbird is usually a person who is retired. Like a migrating bird, they go where the weather is good. A snowbird
may spend summers "at home" in Michigan or New York. But they travel to Arizona or Florida to spend their winters
in the Sun and warmth. What would a reverse snowbird be? A person who spent summers in the 100+ degree heat
and winters in the sub-0 cold. Brrrr....
Latitude and Climate
Latitude is the distance north or south of the Equator. It’s measured in degrees, from 0° to 90°. Several climate
factors vary with latitude.
Latitude and Temperature
Temperature changes with latitude ( Figure 1.1).
• 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.
• At the poles, the Sun’s rays are least direct. Much of the area is covered with ice and snow, which reflect a lot
of sunlight. Temperatures are lowest here.
How Much Does Latitude Change Temperature?
Austin, Texas; Wichita, Kansas; Fargo, North Dakota; and Thompson, Manitoba in Canada all roughly lie on the
97° west longitude line ( Figure 1.2 and Figure 1.3). But they run the length of the North America from 30°N in
Austin, to 38°N in Wichita, to 47°N in Fargo, and to 56°N in Thompson. Other factors affect their climate, but all
four cities are inland.
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FIGURE 1.1
Temperature varies with latitude. If you
look closely you can see that other factors
influence temperature. Mountain ranges,
for example, are cooler than they should
be for their latitude.
FIGURE 1.2
(a) Austin, Texas; (b) Wichita, Kansas;
(c) Fargo, North Dakota; (d) Manitoba,
Canada.
TABLE 1.1: High-Low Temperature Variations of Four Cities
Austin
Wichita
Fargo
Thompson
2
July Avg. High
96
93
82
73
July Avg. Low
74
70
60
48
January Avg. High
62
43
18
-3
January Avg. Low
41
22
0
-20
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Chapter 1. Effect of Latitude on Climate
FIGURE 1.3
Map of North America showing the locations of four cities that lie along the same
longitude.
The table above shows the variation in high and low temperatures that are due primarily to latitude ( Table 1.1).
Which latitude would you prefer?
Summary
• Latitude affects the amount of solar radiation a place receives.
• The amount of solar radiation a place receives is greatest at the Equator and lessens toward the poles.
• Latitude is not the only factor that determines the temperature of a region.
Explore More
Use the resource below to answer the questions that follow.
• Basics of Geography: Climate at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95TtXYjOEv4 (9:03)
MEDIA
Click image to the left or use the URL below.
URL: http://www.ck12.org/flx/render/embeddedobject/1584
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What influences does the Sun have on a region’s climate?
Does the tilt of Earth’s axis of rotation influence climate?
What is latitude?
What is the Equator and what is the climate there like?
What is the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn?
What is the climate of the area between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn?
What are the middle latitudes? What is the climate like in this region generally?
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8.
9.
10.
11.
Describe the polar regions.
What is elevation? How does elevation affect climate?
Besides the amount of precipitation a region gets, what else about precipitation affects climate?
How do wind and water currents affect climate?
Review
1. How do you explain the variation in temperature from Austin, Texas to Thompson, Manitoba, Canada?
2. What are two reasons that solar radiation is different at different latitudes?
3. Look at the map of temperature versus latitude around the globe. Why are the bands not straight across?
References
1. Courtesy of NASA/JPL. Map of temperatures of the Earth . Public Domain
2. (a) Stuart Seeger (Flickr:StuSeeger); (b) Kristin Nador; (c) Courtesy of Michael Rieger, FEMA; (d) AJ Batac.
Image of how climate differs with latitude . (a, b, d) CC BY 2.0; (c) Public Domain
3. Map: User:Canukguy/Wikipedia and many others; labels added by Jodi So/CK-12 Foundation. Different la
titude leads to different climates for these cities . Public Domain
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