Posted: 6/22/2015 4:50:04 PM EDT
|
Our seasons are caused by the earth's tilt. Tilting away from the sun results in less sunlight, which means less energy, which means cooler temps. Tilting towards the sun means higher temperatures. The equator, being unaffected by the tilt, receives the same amount of sunlight year round and thus has no seasons.
This tilt means that the further north you go during summer, the longer the day lasts. You can compare London's sunrise (4:43) and sunset (9:21) with Atlanta's (6:27 and 8:51, respectively) for today. London is farther north. London will receive more sun. Yet London's average highs aren't going to be close to Georgia's. Local weather variations aside, this is true for the whole planet. Going north during the summer gives more sunlight, but lower temperatures. So, stupid question. If summer, and its high temperatures, comes because we're tilted more towards the sun and receive more sun, why do temperatures not go up as you travel north during the summer? Is it because the colder atmosphere left by winter requires more energy to heat up than more southern climates, with their milder winters? Or is it something else? |
|
Quoted:
Our seasons are caused by the earth's tilt. Tilting away from the sun results in less sunlight, which means less energy, which means cooler temps. Tilting towards the sun means higher temperatures. The equator, being unaffected by the tilt, receives the same amount of sunlight year round and thus has no seasons. This tilt means that the further north you go during summer, the longer the day lasts. You can compare London's sunrise (4:43) and sunset (9:21) with Atlanta's (6:27 and 8:51, respectively) for today. London is farther north. London will receive more sun. Yet London's average highs aren't going to be close to Georgia's. Local weather variations aside, this is true for the whole planet. Going north during the summer gives more sunlight, but lower temperatures. So, stupid question. If summer, and its high temperatures, comes because we're tilted more towards the sun and receive more sun, why do temperatures not go up as you travel north during the summer? Is it because the colder atmosphere left by winter requires more energy to heat up than more southern climates, with their milder winters? Or is it something else? Specifically oceans, yes. ETA though your example between London and Atlanta has those two cities in relative close proximity to some very different bodies of water which account for much of their different weather. Central AK in the summer vs. Deadhorse would have a similarly large swing in temperatures, due almost entirely to their location relative to a large body of water. |
|
Quoted:
Specifically oceans, yes. Quoted:
Quoted:
Our seasons are caused by the earth's tilt. Tilting away from the sun results in less sunlight, which means less energy, which means cooler temps. Tilting towards the sun means higher temperatures. The equator, being unaffected by the tilt, receives the same amount of sunlight year round and thus has no seasons. This tilt means that the further north you go during summer, the longer the day lasts. You can compare London's sunrise (4:43) and sunset (9:21) with Atlanta's (6:27 and 8:51, respectively) for today. London is farther north. London will receive more sun. Yet London's average highs aren't going to be close to Georgia's. Local weather variations aside, this is true for the whole planet. Going north during the summer gives more sunlight, but lower temperatures. So, stupid question. If summer, and its high temperatures, comes because we're tilted more towards the sun and receive more sun, why do temperatures not go up as you travel north during the summer? Is it because the colder atmosphere left by winter requires more energy to heat up than more southern climates, with their milder winters? Or is it something else? Specifically oceans, yes. Figured it was something simple. Thanks. |
|
Quoted:
Figured it was something simple. Thanks. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Our seasons are caused by the earth's tilt. Tilting away from the sun results in less sunlight, which means less energy, which means cooler temps. Tilting towards the sun means higher temperatures. The equator, being unaffected by the tilt, receives the same amount of sunlight year round and thus has no seasons. This tilt means that the further north you go during summer, the longer the day lasts. You can compare London's sunrise (4:43) and sunset (9:21) with Atlanta's (6:27 and 8:51, respectively) for today. London is farther north. London will receive more sun. Yet London's average highs aren't going to be close to Georgia's. Local weather variations aside, this is true for the whole planet. Going north during the summer gives more sunlight, but lower temperatures. So, stupid question. If summer, and its high temperatures, comes because we're tilted more towards the sun and receive more sun, why do temperatures not go up as you travel north during the summer? Is it because the colder atmosphere left by winter requires more energy to heat up than more southern climates, with their milder winters? Or is it something else? Specifically oceans, yes. Figured it was something simple. Thanks. 
TinSpinner is spot on. The angle is a big deal as well, which I forgot about. |
|
Quoted:
Days may be longer but the sun is still lower in the horizon. More direct the sun, the hotter it is. I don't think that's entirely accurate, if you are talking about temperature. Example, Philippines. Situated in the tropics, receives lots of direct sun year round. Temperatures don't tend to climb near as high as they do in TX, AZ, NM etc...but being out in the sun it just feels hotter. I can't really describe it other than to say the sun feels stronger there even though the temperature doesn't get nearly as high. Some sort of spooky science stuff going on for sure! |
|
The sun's energy is also still projecting more obliquely relative to
surface plate level thus traveling through more atmosphere that is a longer thermal barrier absorbing more of the energy potential as it reaches that surface point. For Example: The sun at miday in Finland on June 20 (Max / Equinox) is not nearly as luminous/ hot for solar gain as what is obsevered at the Tropic of Cancer as it is perpendicular to the sun on that day That is: shadows are still long at miday at northern latitudes and non existant at the southern limit during miday |
|
Was going to say what the first poster did. Proximity of the ocean has a huge influence on local climates. Think of the Atlantic as a large conveyor belt moving clockwise. Warm water goes up the US East coast (gulf stream), circles across the North Atlantic, and then swings down off Western Europe as a cold stream (there's a name, but I'm too lazy to look it up). Same thing for the Pacific.
The angle of incidence plays the other big part, as mentioned above but not nearly as much as water. Go inland in Alaska and you'll see 90s once you get away from the influence of the ocean. Also a much greater range of temperatures between highs and lows. |