By: Danesia, Priya & Luckshi
January 12th, 2010
Latitude effecting the Climate
PART 2 - Informational Handout
Introduction: Latitude
Latitude are East and west circle lines running parallel to the Equator at 0°, measuring
distance north and south at 90°.The latitude affects the climate because it dictates the
strength and time period of sun exposure.
Does latitude affect Climate?
Latitude does in fact exert a large amount of control over any given area's climate. In fact,
latitude is probably the single most important determining factor in climate. While other
variables such as weather patterns and elevation certainly do have a large impact on any
geographical area, nothing matters quite so much as latitude. For proof of this one only
needs to compare areas of extreme Northern or Southern latitude (the North Pole or South
Pole) with places that lie along the equator (such as Colombia or Somalia).
How Does Latitude Affect Climate?
The latitude of any given area affects that area's climate because it dictates the intensity
and duration of sun exposure. As the Earth orbits the Sun it also wobbles slightly on its
axis. At some times the Northern hemisphere is closer to the sun than the Southern
hemisphere and at some times it is further from it. When an area is closer to the sun the
days are longer and the sun's rays are stronger. This heats the climate. This is the reason
that places experience seasonal variation in temperature. Those locations close to the
equator, however, exist in a nearly constant state of summer because they always get
relatively strong sunlight and have long days.
Low Latitudes
Low latitudes (close to equator) receive the most sunlight, creating warmer climate like:
Rainforests: As the name suggests, rainforests receive a lot of rain. The temperature
stays warm in the rainforest all year long.
Savanna: This ecosystem has a wet season and a very dry season.
Deserts: Deserts receive less rainfall than other tropical ecosystems but are just as warm.
High Latitudes
High latitudes (far from equator) receive the least sunlight, creating cold climates:
Taiga: The forest of the taiga ecosystems survive despite long and very cold winters.
Summers are short and still quite cool.
Tundra: Ocean winds in arctic coastal areas keep the temperatures from being as severe
as interior regions. A long, chilly winter season is followed by a mild season.
Latitude effects climate due to the differential heating of the earth. At the Equator, the
sun's energy strikes the earth at a more direct angle than at the pole. Therefore, it takes
less energy to heat up a given amount of land at the equator than it does at the poles.
So basically lower latitudes (closer to the equator) receive the most sunlight and higher
latitudes (father away from the equator) receives less sunlight and there for place up north
are colder than place down south.
By: Danesia, Priya & Luckshi
Diagrams on Latitude affecting Climate
January 12th, 2010
January 12th, 2010
By: Danesia, Priya & Luckshi
Bibliography
http://science.jrank.org/pages/3059/Global-Climate.html
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Global-Warming/2009/1204/global-warmingincreases-acidity-in-alaskan-seas
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs2-00/
Latitude Affecting the Climate
PART 3 – Assessment for peers
1) What is latitude?
2) What are two other components that affect climate besides latitude?
3) How does latitude affect Climate?
4) When areas are closer to the sun, what happens to the length of the day?
5) What kind of climate does an area with low latitude have?
6) What kind of climate does an area with high latitude have?
7) Do Rain forests, Savanna, and deserts have low or high latitudes? Why?
8) Do Taiga and tundra areas have low or high latitudes? Why?
By: Danesia, Priya & Luckshi
January 12th, 2010
PART 4 – Questions on Climate Change
1) Latitude are East and west circle lines running parallel to the Equator at
0°, measuring distance north and south at 90°.
2) Weather patterns and elevation
3) The latitude of any given area affects that area's climate because it
dictates the intensity and duration of sun exposure.
4) The days will get longer, because they are closer to the sun and there is
more sunlight being provided in that area, so it will be brighter.
5) Low latitudes (close to equator) receive the most sunlight, creating
warmer climate
6) High latitudes (far from equator) receive the least sunlight, creating cold
climates
7) Do Rain forests, Savanna, and deserts have lower latitudes
because they are closer to the equator and they get more heat.
(These places are warmer areas)
8) Taiga and tundra areas have higher latitudes because they are
farther away from the equator so they have colder climates.