Transcript The Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn

Rotation
 The spinning of the earth on
its axis
 Takes 24 hours
 Creates night & day
Revolution
 The orbit of the earth around the sun
 Takes 365 ¼ days
 Creates the seasons
The Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn
• The line of latitude at 23½°N is called the
Tropic of Cancer–the northernmost latitude
on the earth to receive the sun’s direct rays.
• The line of latitude at 23½°S is called the
Tropic of Capricorn–the southernmost
latitude to receive the sun’s direct rays.
EQUINOX
 Direct rays of the sun are located on the EQUATOR
 Days and nights are equal in length
 Spring (Vernal) and Fall (Autumnal)
 When it is Spring in the northern hemisphere it is Fall in
the southern hemisphere (the opposite is also true)
Equinox means = daylight and night
time hours are equal=Spring & Fall
 Around March 21st the sun’s
rays shine directly on the
Equator and marks the
beginning of Spring in the
Northern Hemisphere. This
happens again to mark the
first day of Fall on September
23rd.
SOLSTICE
 Direct rays of the sun are located on the TROPIC OF
CANCER OR CAPRICORN
 Days and nights are not equal in length – summer days
are longer – winters nights are longer
 Summer and Winter
 When it is Winter in the northern hemisphere it is
Summer in the southern hemisphere (the opposite is
also true)
Summer Solstice -As the Earth continues it’s revolution around the Sun, it
moves so that eventually the Sun’s rays directly strike the latitude 23 ½
degrees North. This is the Tropic of Cancer-These rays reach the Tropic of
Cancer about June 21st, bringing the longest day of sunlight.
Winter Solstice - The sun’s rays are at 23 ½ degrees south the Tropic of
Capricorn -December 22-The day of shortest daylight in the Northern
Hemisphere- The First day of Winter
Polar Night
 When the polar region is tilted away from the sun –
the polar area receives 24 hours of darkness.
When it is pointed toward the sun the area receives
24 hours of daylight.
Red – LOW LATITUDES
0 – 23 ½  North & South
Tropics
Hot and Humid
Green – MID LATITUDES
23 ½ - 66 ½  North & South
Temperate
Mild
THE MAJORITY OF THE WORLD’S
PEOPLE LIVE IN THE TEMPERATE
ZONE!!
Blue – HIGH LATITUDES
66 ½ - 90 North & South
Polar
Cold and Dry
Weather - The daily
condition of the atmosphere
which includes temperature
and precipitation.
Precipitation - Moisture
that falls from the sky.
Precipitation has 4 forms:
rain, snow, sleet, and hail.
http://www.mnh.si.edu/archives/garden/images/4seasons.gif
Climate - Average
weather. Measured over
an extended period of time
(usually 30 years).
FACTORS THAT AFFECT
CLIMATE (LACEMOPS)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/97/The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17.jpg/3
00px-The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17.jpg
L - LATITUDE
The most important factor!
The farther from the Equator - the colder and drier it becomes.
Direct rays of the sun are always between the Tropics. Areas not
in the tropics receive indirect sun rays.
Polar Night
 When the polar region is tilted away from the sun – the polar area
receives 24 hours of darkness.
A - AIR MASSES
In the Northern
Hemisphere, cold
air from the Polar
Regions comes
from the north. Hot
air from the tropics
comes from the
south, (opposite in
the Southern
Hemisphere).
Mountains to the
north of a city (in
the Northern
Hemisphere) could
block the cold air
from reaching the
city.
C - CONTINENTALITY
Water moderates climate. Water takes longer to heat and cool
than land. Areas inland from the coast will be hotter in the
summer and colder in the winter than areas with the same latitude
on the coast.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://edc.usgs.gov/imagegallery/imageSrc/United%2520StatesNED500.jpg&imgrefurl=http://edc.usgs.gov/imagegallery/imageDetail.php%3Fpage%3D18%26img%3DUnited%2BStates-NED%26id%3D2071%26col%3DStates%2B%2BNED%2BShaded%2BRelief&h=353&w=500&sz=121&hl=en&start=17&um=1&tbnid=tsJBVC5mQRiZ6M:&tbnh=92&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Duni ted%2Bstates%2B%26svnum%3D10%26
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E - ELEVATION It gets colder as you go up a mountain. The
formula for vertical climate is: Temperature decreases 3.5º F for
every 1,000 feet increase in elevation (the opposite is also true).
You can work out the temperature at the top of a tall mountain.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.savetibet.org/images/images/MountEverest.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.savetibet .org/news/new
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It is 75º at the base of a 15,000 ft. tall mountain. What is the temperature
on top of the mountain?
First, count the
thousands…
(15,000)
Second,
multiply that
number by
3.5…
Third,
Subtract that
number from the
temperature at
the base to get
the answer…
3.5° (from formula)
X 15 (how many thousands of feet the mountain is tall)
52.5° (how much colder at the top than the bottom)
75° (temperature at bottom)
- 52.5° (how much colder at the top)
22.5 ° (temperature at the top)  Answer
Vertical Zonation in the Andes Mts.
M - MOUNTAIN BARRIERS
Orographic effect:
Wind containing moisture
hits the windward side of a
mountain (the side facing the
wind). The moisture full
clouds are too heavy to
make it over the mountain so
precipitation occurs, after the
precipitation, the clouds have
no moisture and are able to
rise over the mountain. The
side facing away from the
wind is called the leeward
side. The leeward side of a
mountain is arid. The
windward side has lush
vegetation. The leeward side
of a mountain is in the rain
shadow and is usually a
desert.
O - OCEAN CURRENTS
Cold currents bring dry, cool air to the coastal areas.
Warm currents bring warm, wet air to coastal areas.
http://go.owu.edu/~jbkrygie/krygier_html/geog_111/geog_111_lo/geog_111_lo05_gr/3-16.jpg
 A periodic reversal of
the pattern of ocean
currents and water
temperatures in the
mid-pacific regions.
 Think about it your farm is used to
moist, warm air, and
now it is getting
cold, dry air…..
General: El Niño episodes (left hand column) reflect periods of exceptionally warm sea surface temperatures across the eastern tropical
Pacific. La Niña episodes (right hand column) represent periods of below-average sea-surface temperatures across the eastern tropical
Pacific. These episodes typically last approximately 9-12 months. Sea-surface temperature (top) and departure (bottom) maps for
December - February during strong El Niño and La Niña episodes are shown above.
P - PRESSURE AND PREVAILING WINDS:
Pressure- High pressure is heavy, cold air. Low pressure is
warm, light air. Heat rises. There are some fairly constant air
pressure systems.
Notice that
these lines are
located at 0,
30, 60, 90 (not
0, 23 ½, 66 ½,
and 90)
Prevailing Winds-
The Equator is surrounded by an area of calm called the Doldrums (ITCZ).
The Trade Winds (Tropical Easterlies) blow from east to west (generally warm and
moist). They run from about 30º N/S toward the Equator.
Between 30º N/S and 60º N/S are the Westerlies (Prevailing Westerlies). They blow
from west to east.
Because the Westerlies and Trade Winds are traveling away from each other there is
an area of calm between them called the Horse Latitudes.
The Polar Easterlies blow from 90º in an eastward direction toward the Westerlies.
There are serious thunderstorms around the 60º latitude line where the two wind
patterns collide
Notice that these lines
are located at 0, 30, 60,
90 (not 0, 23 ½, 66 ½,
and 90)
http://www.worldstats.org/general_world/maps/prevailing_winds_big.gif
http://www.hurricane.com/hurricanes/hurricane-katrina/hurricane-katrina_files/image020.gif
S - STORMS
Where the Polar Easterlies meet the Westerlies there are thunderstorms.
When hot air masses and cold air masses collide - there are storms. Cyclonic
storms (hurricanes, typhoons, etc.) in the Northern Hemisphere spin counterclockwise. In the Southern Hemisphere cyclones spin clockwise.
ClimographIndicates average temperature and precipitation for an area.
Line graph = Temperature
Bar Graph = Precipitation
http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/glossary/A_D/climograph.html
Checking for Understanding
Define Match each definition in the left column with the
appropriate term in the right column.
__
C 1.
__
H 2.
__
E 3.
__
B 4.
an imaginary line that runs
through the center of the earth
between the North and South
Poles
the capacity of certain gases in
the atmosphere to trap heat,
thereby warming the earth
in astronomy, the earth’s yearly
trip around the sun, taking 365 ¼
days
weather patterns typical for an
area over a long period of time
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
weather
climate
axis
temperature
revolution
equinox
solstice
greenhouse
effect
global
warming
Checking for Understanding
Define Match each definition in the left column with the
appropriate term in the right column.
__
A 5.
__
G 6.
__
I 7.
condition of the atmosphere in
one place during a short period
of time
one of two days (about June 21
and December 22) on which the
sun’s rays strike directly on the
Tropic of Cancer or Tropic of
Capricorn, marking the
beginning of summer or winter
gradual warming of the earth
and its atmosphere that may be
caused in part by pollution and
an increase in the greenhouse
effect
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
weather
climate
axis
temperature
revolution
equinox
solstice
greenhouse
effect
global
warming
Checking for Understanding
Define Match each definition in the left column with the
appropriate term in the right column.
__
F 8.
__
D 9.
one of two days (about March
21 and September 23) on which
the sun is directly above the
Equator, making day and night
equal in length
degree of hotness or coldness
measured on a set scale, such as
Fahrenheit or Celsius
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
weather
climate
axis
temperature
revolution
equinox
solstice
greenhouse
effect
global
warming