diagram showing the effect of lattitude on solar radiation
Answers
Answer:
At higher latitudes, the angle of solar radiation is smaller, causing energy to be spread over a larger area of the surface and cooler temperatures.
Explanation:
This is Antarctica. What season is this?
The Sun is always up, even in the middle of the night. That's the photo on the left. In the day, the Sun never gets too high in the sky. That's the photo on the right. So, this is summer. In the winter, it's just dark in Antarctica.
Energy and Latitude
Different parts of Earth’s surface receive different amounts of sunlight (Figure below). The Sun’s rays strike Earth’s surface most directly at the Equator. This focuses the rays on a small area. Near the poles, the Sun’s rays strike the surface at a slant. This spreads the rays over a wide area. The more focused the rays are, the more energy an area receives, and the warmer it is.
The difference in solar energy received at different latitudes drives atmospheric circulation. Places that get more solar energy have more heat. Places that get less solar energy have less heat. Warm air rise, and cool air sinks. These principles mean that air moves around the planet. The heat moves around the globe in certain ways. This determines the way the atmosphere moves.
