From Latitude: To Latitude: Insolation Value (W m-2) Equatorial: 0° 23.5° 423.3: Temperate: 23.5° 50° 349.0: Polar: 50° 90° 191.3
However, the peak insolation at the June solstice is greater at the North Pole, about 500 W/m2, than at any other latitude. At the Equator, daily insolation varies from about 380 W/m2 to about 430 W/m2 and there are two maximums—each near the time of an equinox, when the Sun is directly overhead at noon.
Changes in Insolation. The amount of insolation that an area receives can vary over the course of a day or over a year. The highest point of the Sun's path in the sky is the time when the maximum amount (intensity) of insolation for the day reaches a location. The warmest part of the day is usually a few hours later.
Over the course of a year all places on the earth receive equal amounts of sunlight yet climates can vary a great deal depending where you are on earth. The purpose of this lab is to show you how the curvature of the Earth affects the angle at which insolation is striking the planet’s surface, therefore affecting its surface temperature ...
Maximum insolation occurs in the Northern Hemisphere around June 21st (Summer Solstice). 3. Maximum Surface temperature occur at the Earth's surface after the maximum duration of insolation. 4.
Which of the following is TRUE for the June Solstice? The Arctic Circle is completely within the circle of illumination. What is the ozonosphere?
Why does a high angle of incidence mean that the solar rays are more concentrated than a lower angle of incidence? The area they cover is smaller. When does the Sun rise, beginning the period of daylight at the North Pole? Solar Noon on March 21.
0 degrees latitudeThe Equator is the invisible line that runs around the center of the Earth at 0 degrees latitude. An equator is an imaginary line around the middle of a planet or other celestial body. It is halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole, at 0 degrees latitude.Sep 6, 2011
An equinox occurs twice a year (around 20 March and 22 September), when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth's equator. Happens twice a year: longest night and longest day.
23.5° northThe sun's vertical rays strike the Tropic of Cancer, 23.5° north of the Equator, during the June solstice.Jun 11, 2018
The latitude is the angle formed by a line going from the center of the earth to the equator at the point on the equator that is closed to the point of interest and another line that goes from the center of the earth to the parallel that goes through the point of interest.
On June the 21st, the Earth has continued its journey so that the maximum overhead sun is over the Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N), and the Northern Hemisphere experiences its maximum amount of insolation received and summer.
The insolation is not constant over the surface of the Earth — it is concentrated near the equator (first figure on the page) because of the curvature of the Earth. But, the situation is complicated by the fact that the Earth’s spin axis is tilted by 23.4° relative to a line perpendicular to the Earth’s orbital plane ...
Both records are characterized by a strong 11-year cycle, often called the sunspot cycle. The magnitude of variation in the Solar Constant, however, is quite small and we shall see in our lab activity for this module that this amounts to a very small change in the temperature of the Earth.
The Earth orbits around the Sun with its spin axis (the line connecting the North and South Poles) tilted at 23.4° from a line perpendicular to the orbital plane. This tilt, or obliquity, gives rise to the variation in seasons, and the larger the tilt angle, the greater the contrast in seasons ...
It all starts with the Sun, where the fusion of hydrogen create s an immense amount of energy, heating the surface to around 6000°K; the Sun then radiates energy outwards in the form of ultraviolet and visible light, with a bit in the near-infra red part of the spectrum. By the time this energy gets out to the Earth, ...
Solar energy reaching the Earth varies with latitude, as shown above, and with the time of the year. Note that during the polar summers, the insolation is actually higher than it ever is at the equator — this is due to the increased day length; at the equator, half of the day is typically dark, with no sunlight, ...
On a yearly average, the equatorial region receives the most insolation, so we expect it to be the warmest, and indeed it is. Earlier, we mentioned the Solar Constant — a measure of the amount of solar energy reaching Earth. In reality, this value is not a constant because the Sun is a dynamic star with lots of interesting changes occurring.
The Earth is so far away from the Sun that the incoming rays of energy are all essentially parallel (thin black lines within the yellow region). Note that the sunlight strikes the planet perpendicular to the surface near the equator, but it strikes at an oblique angle near the poles, such that L2>L1. This means that the insolation is more ...
The seasonal pattern of daily insolation provides a convenient way to divide the globe into broad latitude zones that we will use in this book. The equatorial zone encompasses the Equator and covers the latitude belt roughly 10° north to 10° south. Here the Sun provides intense insolation throughout most of the year, and days and nights are of roughly equal length. Spanning the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn are the tropical zones, ranging from latitudes 10° to 25° north and south. A marked seasonal cycle exists in these zones, combined with high annual insolation.
Annual insolation is very high at the Equator because the Sun passes directly overhead at noon every day throughout the year. Annual insolation at the poles is zero because the Sun's rays always skirt the horizon. We can see that without a tilted axis our planet would be a very different place.
The tilt redistributes a very significant portion of the Earth's insolation from the equatorial regions toward the poles. So even though the pole does not receive direct sunlight for six months of the year, it still receives nearly half the amount of annual solar radiation as the Equator.
The arctic and antarctic zones lie between latitudes 60° and 75° N and S , astride the Arctic and Antarctic Circles . These zones have an extremely large yearly variation in day lengths, yielding enormous contrasts in insolation over the year.
Daily insolation is the average flow rate over a 24-hour day, while annual insolation is the average flow rate over the entire year. Insolation depends on the angle of the Sun above the horizon. It is greatest when the Sun is directly overhead, and it decreases when the Sun is low in the sky, since the same amount of solar energy is spread out ...
Moving toward the poles, we come to the subtropical zones, which lie roughly between the latitudes 25° to 35° north and south. These zones have a strong seasonal cycle and a large annual insolation. The midlatitude zones are next, between 35° and 55° north and south latitude.
Daily insolation at a location depends on two factors: (1) the angle at which the Sun's rays strike the Earth, and (2) how long the place is exposed to the rays. In Chapter 1 we saw that both of these factors are controlled by latitude and the time of year. At midlatitude locations in summer, for example, days are long and ...
The highest point of the Sun's path in the sky is the time when the maximum amount (intensity) of insolation for the day reaches a location. The warmest part of the day is usually a few hours later. This is because the land absorbs the sunlight and reradiates it out to the atmosphere, warming it up. We measure the air temperature ...
Over the course of a year, the Sun reaches its highest point on June 21 for anyone living north of the Tropic of Cancer. The maximum air temperature for this area is delayed until July. The reason is similar to the daily changes. The ground needs time to absorb the energy and to reradiate it to the atmosphere.
In preparation for some work I will be doing I've been working on calculation of insolation as a function of time and latitude. In this post I will explain the method and compare results to a readily obtainable plot of insolation at various latitudes.
In preparation for some work I will be doing I've been working on calculation of insolation as a function of time and latitude. In this post I will explain the method and compare results to a readily obtainable plot of insolation at various latitudes.
Brief Description: The global pattern of insolation (incoming solar radiation) is a major determinant in the geographic variation of surface air temperatures. Therefore, to understand temperature patterns we must first explain variation in insolation. This exercise uses solar panel orientation as a means to examine the relationship between insolation, latitude, and time of year. For highest efficiency, solar panels need to be pointed in the direction that captures the most sun. Since insolation varies with latitude, a solar panel's "Optimum Tilt" is dependent on its geographic location. Your job in Part A of this assignment is to determine the angle that solar panels in ten different locations need to be pointed in for maximum efficiency. In Part B you will discuss your findings.
Note that insolation is the incoming solar radiation. In other words, insolation will be highest when the Sun is higher in the sky and in the sky for more hours per day: