Based on latitude, the Earth is divided into three general climate zones: artic zones, tropic zones and

temperate
zones. The arctic zones tend to be snow - and ice - covered year-round though they often receive no more
precipitation than deserts. The tropic zone, on both sides of the equator, receives the most sunlight and generally
experiences warm weather and seasonal rainfall. The temperate zone, between the arctic and tropical zones, has
the most diversity of weather.

Besides latitude, many other factors affect climate, including the nearness of land to bodies of water, prevailing
global wind patterns and the elevation of the land. What covers the land on the Earth's surface also plays a role,
as heavily vegetated areas absorb sunlight while areas like polar ice reflect it. The general climate zones are
broken into sub-climates, which include high-latitude polar ice cap, sub-arctic and tundra, middle-latitude
Mediterranean, maritime and steppe and low-latitude tropical savannas and rain forests. Some sub-climates,
such as deserts, occur at various latitudes as they have more to do with precipitation than intensity of sunlight.

Effect of Latitude on Climate

Where do you want to go on vacation?

If you live in a frigid climate you may want to go to lower latitudes for your mid-winter vacation. If you live in
the desert, you may like to spend part of your summer at higher latitudes. Different climates are found at
different latitudes.

Latitude

Many factors influence the climate of a region. The most important factor is latitude because different latitudes
receive different amounts of solar radiation.
The maximum annual temperature of the Earth, showing a roughly gradual temperature gradient from the low to
the high latitudes.

 The Equator receives the most solar radiation. Days are equally long year-round and the Sun is just
about directly overhead at midday.
 The polar regions receive the least solar radiation. The night lasts six months during the winter. Even in
summer, the Sun never rises very high in the sky. Sunlight filters through a thick wedge of atmosphere,
making the sunlight much less intense. The high albedo, because of ice and snow, reflects a good portion
of the Sun's light.

Temperature with Latitude

It's easy to see the difference in temperature at different latitudes in the Figure above. But temperature is not
completely correlated with latitude. There are many exceptions. For example, notice that the western portion of
South America has relatively low temperatures due to the Andes Mountains. The Rocky Mountains in the
United States also have lower temperatures due to high altitudes. Western Europe is warmer than it should be
due to the Gulf Stream.

Summary

 The amount of solar radiation received by the planet is greatest at the Equator and lessens toward the
poles.
 At the poles the Sun never rises very high in the sky and sunlight filters through a thick wedge of
atmosphere.
 Latitude is not the only factor that determines the temperature of a region, as can be seen in the striped
map above.

Explore More

Use this resource to answer the questions that follow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1W2k6JksQY

1. Why does less solar radiation reach the poles?

2. What are the mean annual temperatures at the equator? What are they at the south pole?
3. How does latitude affect precipitation?
4. Where are the regions of rising air?
5. Where are the regions of sinking air?
6. Why are the Sahara and the deserts of the American Southwest at about the same latitude?
7. Why are there lots of forests at 60-degrees latitude? Why is this a stormy region?
8. How can the north and south poles be called deserts? Why is there snow there?

Review

1. Why do the poles receive so much less solar radiation than the Equator considering that it's light for six
months at the poles?
2. Why is latitude considered the most important factor in determining temperature?
3. Look at a map of geological features and look at the temperature map to try to determine why some of
the exceptions exist. What's the realtively cool blob north of India?

Tilt and Latitude

Latitude is a measure of the distance you are located from the equator.  It is
commonly shown as an imaginary horizontal line that goes across the earth on
maps and is used along with longitude as a reference point to determine
location. The tilt of the earth affects the seasons we experience throughout the
year.

Why do I care?  The latitude and tilt of the earth are key factors which
determine the climate at a particular location.

Figure A: Degrees of Latitude

http://www.mrdowling.com/601-
grid.html

The technical definition of latitude is the angular distance north or south from the earth’s equator measured
through 90 degrees. Lines of latitude form circles around the earth, with 0 degrees latitude being at the equator
and 90° latitude representing the poles. For example, Miami, Florida, is located at approximately 26 degrees
North latitude while New York, New York, is located at approximately 41 degrees North latitude.

While there are other factors that affect general climate in an area (terrain, location relative to
mountains/oceans, and height above/below sea level, for example), latitude is an important factor in
determining what type of climate a location will have. For example, we can expect Miami’s climate to be much
warmer than that of New York since it is at a lower latitude and is located closer to the equator.  Locations at
lower latitudes receive stronger and more direct sunlight than locations near the poles.  Energy input from the
sun is the main driving force in the atmosphere.

As mentioned earlier, there are other factors that influence the weather on the earth.  One of these is the tilt of
the earth. The earth's axis of rotation is tilted about 23.5 degrees compared to the plane of the earth's orbit
around the sun.   The earth’s tilt is responsible for the seasons we experience.

Figure B: Seasons of the Year

The earth moves around the sun in an elliptical fashion, and one complete orbit around the sun takes one year.
An interesting fact is that it is not the proximity of the earth to the sun that determines the season; we are
actually closest to the sun in January, not July.  Instead, the tilt of the earth is the key. When the Northern
Hemisphere is tilted towards the sun, the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away from the sun. This leads to
summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere as the Northern Hemisphere
experiences the most direct sunlight and solar heating as shown in Figure C. 
 Figure C: Northern Hemisphere Summer/Southern Hemisphere Winter
Image from wikipedia

During winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere is tilted towards the sun, which now
experiences summer shown in Figure D. The Southern Hemisphere takes in more of the sun’s rays than the
Northern Hemisphere, and the days last longer in the Southern Hemisphere. Meanwhile, in the Northern
Hemisphere, the days become shorter and the temperatures become cooler.  The sunlight is weaker and less
direct, so there is less energy being absorbed by the earth and atmosphere.
 Figure D: Northern Hemisphere Winter/Southern Hemisphere Summer
Image from wikipedia

During spring and fall, the earth is in a transition phase shown in Figure E. What usually marks the occurrence
of spring and fall astronomically is the equinox. The equinox occurs when the sun is directly focused on the
earth’s equator and causes 12 hours of daytime hours and 12 hours of nighttime hours across the entire earth. 
There are two types of equinoxes that occur: the vernal and the autumnal. The vernal equinox marks the
beginning of spring for the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of fall for the Southern Hemisphere. As
time passes, the Northern Hemisphere gradually receives more of the sun’s rays and also experiences longer
daylight hours. The autumnal equinox marks the beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the
Southern Hemisphere. The Northern Hemisphere gradually receives less of the sun’s rays over time and also
experiences less daylight hours. In addition to revolving around the sun, the earth rotates counter-clockwise on
its own axis. This rotation allows us to experience day and night.

Climatologists usually use full months to represent the seasons.  Winter is considered December, January and
February; spring is March through May; summer is June through August; and fall or autumn is September
through November. 

Figure E: Autumnal (Fall) Equinox/Vernal (Spring) Equinox

Image from wikipedia

How does this relate to public health?

Seasonal trends in morbidity and mortality can be attributed to seasonal extremes of hot and cold temperatures,
influenza, and allergies. Latitude is associated with heat-related deaths. People who live in more southern cities
are more vulnerable during events of colder temperatures, while people in more northern cities are more
vulnerable during events of warmer temperatures.1

Annual Influenza-like Illness Trends (2008-2013)

Figure F: Percentage of visits for influenza-like illnesses have been exceptionally high in the first few weeks of
2012-2013 season.

Data retrieved from http://www.flu.nc.gov/data/

Mid-latitude cities, such those in North Carolina, tend to experience greater summer climate variability. These
cities are also expected to experience the greatest increase in summertime heat-related deaths as a result of
climate change.2

Influenza or flu activity peaks during the winter months in the U.S., particularly during the month of February.3
Researchers in New York City have developed a new weather modeling technique that factors in periods of dry
weather, and therefore can predict the timing and severity of seasonal influenza outbreaks up to eight weeks out.
Flu forecasts could alert residents to take extra precaution by getting vaccinated, and public health professionals
to ensure sufficient stockpiles of vaccines and antiviral drugs.4

Figure G: A qualified nurse administers the FluMist® flu vaccine.

Image from http://phil.cdc.gov/phil/details.asp

An earlier onset of the pollen season in the U.S. due to climate change may lead to greater exposure to
allergens, which in turn may worsen allergic conditions such as asthma or allergic rhinitis (hay fever).5,6
1
Curreiro, FC; et al. 2002.Temperature and mortality in 11 cities of the eastern United States. American Journal of Epidemiology. Jan
1;155(1)80-7.

2
Portier CJ, et al. 2010. A human health perspective on climate change: a report outlining the research needs on the human health
effects of climate change. Research Triangle Park, NC: Environmental Health Perspectives/National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences. doi:10.1289/ehp.1002272 <www.niehs.nih.gov/climatereport> Accessed November 17, 2012.

3
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). October 12, 2012.
Seasonal Influenza (Flu). <http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season.htm> Accessed November 17, 2012.

4
Science Codex. Flu outbreaks predicted with weather forecast techniques. November 27, 2012.
<http://www.sciencecodex.com/flu_outbreaks_predicted_with_weather_forecast_techniques-102754> Accessed December 6, 2012.

5
Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007. M.L.
Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson (eds) Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United
Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. <http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg2/en/ch8s8-2-7.html> Accessed November
17, 2012.

6
Environmental Protection Agency. Climate change: Human impacts and adaptation. June 14, 2012.
<http://epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/health.html#impactsreducedair> Accessed November 17, 2012.

Links to National Science Education Standards:

5th grade science: 5.E.1.1 : Compare daily and seasonal changes in weather conditions (including wind speed
and direction, precipitation, and temperature) and patterns.

Earth Science: EEn.1.1.4 : Explain how incoming solar energy makes life possible on Earth.