Transcript Earth-Sun Relationships

Earth-Sun
Relationships
(3.1)
Climate vs. Weather
Weather:
condition of
atmosphere in 1 place during
a limited time
Climate vs. weather
Climate:
weather patterns of an
area over a long period of time
The most important factor of
climate is Earth’s position in
relation to the sun
Earth’s Tilt
Axis:
imaginary line runs
from pole to pole, through
center
Tilted at 23 ½ º angle
Places receive diff.
amounts of light at diff.
times
Earth’s Tilt
Areas
with direct sunlight
warmer temps. (Tropics,
Equator)
Areas with indirect sunlight
cooler temps. (High latitudes/
mid-lat)
Earth’s Rotation
 Earth
rotates on its axis
 One complete
rotation = 24 hours
 From west to east,
one hemisphere at a
time
Earth’s Revolution
 As
it rotates, Earth revolves around the sun (365
days)
 Tilt + revolution = seasons


Δs in length of days and temp.
Reversed for N & S hemispheres
Equinoxes & Solstices
 Equinox:
Spring and Fall
 Equal days and nights
 Solstice: Summer and Winter
 Longer day; shorter day
Equinoxes & Solstices
 Spring
equinox March 21- rays hit Equator
directly…equal day/night
 Summer
solstice June 22- rays hit Tropic of
Cancer…longest day (US)
 Fall
equinox Sept. 23- rays hit Equator
directly…equal day/night
 Winter
solstice December 22- rays hit Tropic of
Capricorn…shortest day (US)
Equinoxes & Solstices
 So
if it is summer in Houston, what season
is it in South Africa?
 If we are wearing long sleeves and
jackets, what are they wearing in China?
The Poles
For
6 months one pole is
pointed toward sun 
constant sunlight
Other is pointed away little
to no sunlight
“lands of the midnight sun”
The Greenhouse Effect
 The


perfect balance must be kept:
Too much heat escapes freeze
Too much heat is trapped dry out
Greenhouse effect
Global Warming
 More
fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) are
burned 
 Greenhouse gases (CO2, O3, water vapor)
trap more heat
Global warming..?
Water
evaporation
, get more
rainfall (worse storms?)
But land dries out more quickly
roots can’t soak up water
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJAbATJCugs