Temperature Distribution on

Earth and Heat Budget

By Dr Vipan Goyal
 Temperature Distribution on Earth
• Sun is the ultimate source of heat.
• The differential heat received from sun by different
regions on earth is the ultimate reason behind all
climatic features.
• So understanding the patterns of distribution of
temperature in different seasons is important for
understanding various climatic features like wind
systems, pressure systems, precipitation etc.
 Difference between heat and temperature
• The interaction of incoming solar radiation (insolation) with the
atmosphere and the earth’s surface creates heat. This is measured
in terms of temperature.
• While heat represents the molecular movement of particles
comprising a substance, the temperature is the measurement in
degrees of how hot (or cold) a thing (or a place) is.
• So, heat is the energy which makes things or objects hot, while
temperature measures the intensity of heat (degree of
hotness/coldness).
• Heat and temperature are closely related to each other because
gain or loss of heat is necessary to raise or lower the temperature.
 Insolation
• Earth intercepts only one in two billion parts of solar
radiation. This intercepted radiation is called Insolation.
• Some heat within the core and mantle is transferred to the
surface and ocean bottoms through volcanoes, springs and
geysers.
• But this heat received at the surface form interiors of the
earth is negligible compared to that received from sun.
 Insolation
• Earth receives Sun’s radiation (heat) in the form of short waves (most of it
is ultraviolet radiation) which are of electromagnetic nature.
• The earth absorbs short wave radiation during daytime and reflects back
the heat received into space as long-wave radiation (mostly infrared
radiation) during night.
• The earth’s surface does not absorb all the energy that it receives.
• The proportion of the solar radiation reflected from the surface is called
Albedo.
• On the average insolation is highest near the tropics, marginally lower at
the equator and lowest at poles.
 Factors Affecting Temperature Distribution
• The Angle of Incidence or the Inclination of the Sun’s Rays
Factors Affecting Temperature Distribution

Duration of Sunshine
Heat received depends on day or night; clear sky or
overcast, summer or winter etc..
 Land-Sea Differential
• Albedo of land is much greater than albedo of oceans and
water bodies. Especially snow covered areas reflect up to
70%-90% of insolation.
• Average penetration of sunlight is more in water – up to 20
metres, than in land – where it is up to 1 metre only.
• Therefore, land cools or becomes hot more rapidly
compared to oceans due to low specific heat.
 Prevailing Winds
• Winds transfer heat from one latitude to another. They also help in
exchange of heat between land and water bodies.
• The oceanic winds have the capacity to take the moderating
influence of the sea to coastal areas – reflected in cool summers
and mild winters. This effect is pronounced only on the windward
side (the side facing the ocean).
• The leeward side or the interiors do not get the moderating effect
of the sea, and therefore experience extremes of temperature.
 Aspects of Slope
• Slopes more exposed to the sun receive more solar radiation than
those away from the sun’s direct rays.
• Slopes that receive direct Sun’s rays are dry due to loss of moisture
through excess evaporation.
• These slopes remain barren if irrigational facilities are absent.
• But slopes with good irrigational facilities are good for agriculture
due to abundant sunlight available. They are occupied by dense
human settlements.
• Slopes that are devoid of direct sunlight are usually well forested.
• Ocean Currents
• Ocean Currents are of two types – warm and cold.
• Warm currents make the coasts along which they flow warmer, while cold currents
reduce the temperature of the coasts along which they flow.
• Altitude
 With increase in height, pressure falls, the effect of greenhouse gases
decreases and hence temperature decreases (applicable only to troposphere).
 The normal lapse rate is roughly 1⁰ C for every 165 metres of ascent. Or 6.4
degree celsius for every 1 km.
 Earth’s Distance form Sun
• During its revolution around the sun, the earth is farthest
from the sun (152 million km on 4th July). This position of the
earth is called
• On 3rd January, the earth is the nearest to the sun (147
million km). This position is called
• Therefore, the annual insolation received by the earth on 3rd
January is slightly more than the amount received on 4th July.
 AIR MASSES
• Like the land and sea breezes, the passage of air masses also
affects the temperature.
• The places, which come under the influence of warm air
masses experience higher temperature and the places that
come under the influence of cold air masses experience low
temperature.
 VEGETATION COVER
• Soil devoid of vegetation cover receives heat more
rapidly than the soil under vegetation cover.
• Because vegetation cover absorbs much of sun’s heat
and then prevents quick radiation from the earth
whereas the former radiates it more rapidly.
• Hence the temperature variations in densely forested
areas are lower than those in desert areas.
 Heating and Cooling of the Atmosphere

• Sun is the ultimate source of the atmospheric

heat and energy, but its effect is not direct. For
example, as we climb a mountain or ascend in the
atmosphere, temperature become steadily lower,
rather than higher, as we might expect.
 Radiation
• It is the process where transference of heat is directly from space to atmosphere
through electromagnetic radiations.
• Photon particles in the radiations collide with the air molecules in the atmosphere
and transfer energy in this process.
• The sun, having an extremely hot surface temperature, radiates fairly short
wavelengths, part of which is felt as warmth, part of which are visible as light.
• The Earth, on the other hand, having a cool surface, reradiates heat at much
longer wavelengths. The re-radiate heat from the earth is called Terrestrial
radiation.
• Atmosphere is transparent to short waves and opaque to long waves. The long
wave radiation is absorbed by the atmospheric gases particularly by carbon
dioxide and the other green house gases. Hence energy leaving the earth’s surface
heats up the atmosphere more than the incoming solar radiation.
 Conduction
• When two objects of unequal temperature come in contact with each
other, heat energy flow from the warmer object to the cooler object and
this process of heat transfer is known as conduction.
• The flow continues till temperature of both the objects becomes equal or
the contact is broken.
• The conduction in the atmosphere occurs at zone of contact between the
atmosphere and the earth’s surface by terrestrial radiations.
• However, this is a minor method of heat transfer in terms of warming the
atmosphere since it only affects the air close to the earth’s surface. This is
because of the fact that the air is poor conductor of heat.
 Convection
• In this process, energy is transferred through motion of molecules
itself.
• The air in contact with the earth rises vertically on heating in the
form of currents and further transmits the heat of the atmosphere.
• The heating of the air leads to its expansion. Its density decreases
and it moves upwards.
• Continuous ascent of heated air creates vacuum in the lower layers
of the atmosphere. As a consequence, cooler air comes down to fill
the vacuum. This process of vertical heating of the atmosphere is
known as convection.
• The convective transfer of energy is confined only to the
troposphere.
 Advection
• The transfer of heat through horizontal movement of air is called
advection.
• The temperature of a place will rise if it lies on the path of winds coming
from warmer regions.
• The temperature will fall if the place lies on the path of the winds blowing
from cold regions.
• Horizontal movement of the air is relatively more important than the
vertical movement.
• In summer seasons, ‘Loo’ of north India is a hot wind and ‘Sirocco’ is also a
hot wind carries heat of Sahara desert to Mediterranean regions.
• In middle latitudes, most of diurnal (day and night) variation in daily
weather is caused by advection alone.
 Latitudinal Heat Balance
• The amount of insolation received varies from latitude to latitude.
• Regions within the equator and 40° N and S latitudes receive abundant sunlight
and hence more heat will be gained than lost. Hence they are energy surplus
regions.
• Regions beyond 40° N and S latitudes lose more heat than that gained from
sunlight. Hence they are energy deficit regions (This is because of slant sunlight
and high albedo of polar regions).
• The atmosphere (planetary winds) and the oceans (ocean currents) transfer
excess heat from the tropics (energy surplus region) towards the poles (energy
deficit regions) making up for heat loss at higher latitudes.
 Heat Budget
• The earth receives a certain
amount of Insolation (short
waves) and gives back heat
into space by terrestrial
radiation (longwave
radiation). Through this
give and take, or the heat
budget, the earth maintains
a constant temperature.
• Roughly 35 units are reflected
back to space even before
reaching the earth’s surface.
• Reflected from the top of clouds -
27 units
• Reflected by ice-fields on earth -
02 units
• Reflected by the atmosphere - 06
units
• The reflected amount of radiation
is called the albedo of the earth.
The above given radiation does
neither heat the atmosphere nor
the earth’s surface.
• The remaining 65 units are
absorbed as:
• Absorbed by the atmosphere -
14 units
• Absorbed by the earth - 51 units
(Scattered + direct radiation)
• This account of incoming and
outgoing radiation always
maintains the balance of heat on
the surface of the earth. This is
termed the heat budget or heat
balance of the earth.
 Temperature Zones
• The earth can be generally
divided into three broad
temperature zones viz.
Torrid Zone, Temperate
Zone and Frigid zone.
 Torrid Zone
• Torrid Zone is the tropical region. The temperature remains
high. Sun is directly overhead at least once during the year.
• In the Northern Hemisphere, the overhead Sun moves north
from the equator until it reaches 23.5 °North (Tropic of
Cancer) for the June solstice after which it moves back south
to the equator.
• The year is consequently divided nearly into four equal parts
by the two times at which the sun crosses the equator
(Equinoxes) and those two at which it attains greatest
declinations (Solstices).
• The Torrid Zone forms the hottest region of the world
with two annual seasons namely a dry and a wet season.
This zone includes most of Africa, southern Asia, Indonesia,
New Guinea, northern Australia, southern Mexico, Central
America and northern South America.
 Temperate Zones
• Temperate zones are the mid latitudinal
areas, where the temperature is moderate.
• There are two temperate areas viz. North
and South.
• In the two Temperate Zones, the Sun is
never directly overhead, and the climate is
mild, generally ranging from warm to cool.
The four annual seasons, Spring, Summer,
Autumn and Winter occur in these areas.
• The North Temperate Zone includes Great
Britain, Europe, northern Asia, North
America and northern Mexico.
• The South Temperate Zone includes
southern Australia, New Zealand, southern
South America and South Africa.
 Frigid Zones
• The two Frigid Zones, or polar regions,
experience the midnight sun and the
polar night for part of the year – the cliff
of the zone experiences one day at the
solstice when the Sun doesn’t rise or set
for 24 hours, while in the centre of the
zone (the pole), the day is literally one
year long, with six months of daylight
and six months of night.
• Frigid Zones are not the coldest parts of
the earth and are covered with ice and
snow.
 Distribution of Temperature
• Distribution of temperature varies both horizontally and vertically. Let us
study it under
• A) Horizontal Distribution of Temperature
• B) Vertical Distribution of Temperature
• A) Horizontal Distribution of Temperature
• Distribution of temperature across the latitudes over the surface of the
earth is called its horizontal distribution.
• On maps, the horizontal distribution of temperature is commonly shown
by isotherms.
• Isotherms are line connecting points that have an equal temperature.
• Horizontal Distribution of Temperature in
January
• In January, the sun shines vertically
overhead near the tropic of Capricorn.
Hence, it is summer in southern
hemisphere and winter in the northern
hemisphere.
• A high temperature is found over the
landmasses mainly in three regions of the
southern hemisphere. These regions are
North-West Argentina, East and Central
Africa, and Central Australia.
• Isotherm of 30°C closes them.
• In the northern hemisphere, landmasses are cooler
than the oceans.
• As the air is warmer over the oceans than over
landmasses in the northern hemisphere, the isotherms
bend towards the north (poles) when they cross the
oceans and to the south (equator) over the continents.
• For example : Phenomenon visible over the North
Atlantic Oceans. The presence of warms ocean currents
(Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift) make the
Northern Atlantic Ocean warmer and the isotherms
bend towards the poles. Over the land, the
temperature decreases sharply and the isotherms bend
towards the equator in Europe.
• In the southern hemisphere, the effect of the oceans is
well pronounced (due to few landmasses).
• Here, the isotherms are more or less parallel to the
latitudes and the variation in temperature is more
gradual than in the northern hemisphere.
 Horizontal Distribution of Temperature in July

• In July, the sun shines vertically

overhead near the Tropic of cancer.
Hence, high temperatures are found in
the entire northern hemisphere.
• The regions having high temperature
include South Western USA, the
Sahara, the Arabia, Iraq, Iran,
Afghanistan, desert region of India and
China.
• However, the lowest temperature of
0°C is also noticed in the Northern
Hemisphere during summer in the
central part of Greenland.
• During summer in the northern
hemisphere, isotherms bend
towards the equator while crossing
oceans and towards the poles while
crossing landmasses.
• Isotherms are wide spaced over
oceans while they are closely spaced
over landmasses.
• In July, the deviation of isotherms is
not that much pronounced as in
January.
 Vertical Distribution of Temperature
• Temperature in the troposphere decreases with an increase in the altitude.
• This vertical gradient of temperature is commonly referred to as the standard atmosphere
or Normal Lapse Rate.
• However, this normal lapse rate varies with height, season, latitude and other factors.
• Indeed the actual lapse rate of temperature does not always show a decrease with altitude.

• Inversion of Temperature :
• In the mountain valleys, the temperature of the air is found increasing with increasing
altitude. Thus there is an inversion of the temperature. This is because during the night, the
quick radiation from the upper exposed slopes of the mountains causes the surface and air
over it to cool rapidly. This cooler air is denser and gets drained by the valley slopes and
displaces the warmer air toward up. So, when we go up in a valley, the temperature seems to
getting increased. This phenomenon is also called drainage inversion.
Thank You