TEST OF PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE QUESTION (a) With the aid of diagrams, explain how the following factors affect the temperature of a place: (i) latitude (ii) as...

Answer Details

How the following factors affect the temperature of a place

(i) Latitude

Temperature decreases from the equator towards the poles. Near the equator (low latitudes) the sun's rays strike the earth almost vertically (overhead), so a strong beam of heat is concentrated on a small area and passes through less atmosphere, giving high temperatures. Towards the poles (high latitudes) the rays strike at a slanting angle, so the same amount of heat is spread over a larger area and passes through more atmosphere, losing much of its strength. Hence low-latitude places are hot and high-latitude places are cold.

(ii) Aspect and slope

Aspect is the direction a slope faces. In the northern hemisphere, slopes facing south face the sun and receive more direct heat, so they are warmer; slopes facing north are shaded and cooler (the reverse holds in the southern hemisphere). Regarding slope angle, a surface lying at right angles to the sun's rays receives the rays concentrated on a small area and becomes warmer, while a gently inclined or opposite-facing slope receives slanting rays spread over a wider area and remains cooler.