Why is there a difference in the heat budget at various latitudes despite the Earth as a whole having a balanced heat budget? What happens at polar and tropical latitudes?
· The heat budget varies with latitude because the sun hits latitudes at different angles which then alters the distribution area of that solar radiation.
· Polar latitudes receive the sun's radiation from a very low angle. Although the amount of radiation from the sun is constant, the distribution of that radiation spreads over a larger area. Also, the radiation must travel through more of the atmosphere before reaching the surface of the Earth. These factors contribute to a high level of reflection of light energy in these regions.
· Tropical latitudes receive the sun's radiation from a nearly vertical angle. The same amount of solar energy being projected to the poles is concentrated into a smaller area. There is less atmosphere to travel through and minimal reflection.
· There is more solar energy received in tropical latitudes than polar latitudes.
You might also like to view...
Two cities are located at the same latitude (40 degrees). City A is in the Southern Hemisphere and City B is in the Northern Hemisphere. Assume the two cities reflect the general characteristics of the hemispheres where they are located
Which city should have the warmer winter temperatures? A) City A B) City B C) Both cities should have nearly identical winter temperatures.
Explain the role of convection in cloud formation.?
What will be an ideal response?
All of the following could be considered proxy data for measuring global warming EXCEPT
A. sea surface temperature. B. tree rings. C. ice cores.
The British set up __________ to grow tea, rubber, and coconuts on Ceylon.
Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).