DAILY

CLASS NOTES
Geography

Lecture - 28
Temperature Distribution
on Earth
 Temperature Distribution on Earth
Sun as The Source of Energy:
 Sun is the ultimate source of energy.
 The differential heat received from the sun by different regions on earth is the ultimate reason behind all
climatic phenomena.
 Understanding the patterns of distribution of temperature in different seasons is important for understanding
various climatic features like wind systems, pressure systems, precipitation, etc.

Insolation:
 Earth intercepts only one in two billion parts of solar
radiation. This intercepted radiation is called
Insolation, i.e., it is the proportion of Solar energy
received or intercepted by the earth.
 It is energy per unit of time and per unit area falling
at a place. It varies from the tropics to the poles.
 The insolation is more at the equator and less at the
poles.
 Some heat within the core and mantle is transferred to
the surface and ocean bottoms through volcanoes, springs, and geysers.
 The Earth receives short-wave radiation from the Sun (infrared radiation) and reflects back long-wave radiation
while cooling.
 The wavelength is inversely proportional to the frequency of the waves.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum:

Ways of Transfer of Heat Energy:
 The heat energy from solar radiation is received by the earth through three mechanisms:
 Radiation: Radiation is the transfer of heat from one body to another without actual contact or
movement. It is possible in relatively emptier space, for instance, from the sun to the earth through space.
The maximum mode of heat transfer in a body is through this mechanism.
 Conduction: Conduction is the transfer of heat through matter by molecular activity. Heat transfer in
iron and other metals is by conduction. Generally, denser materials like water are good conductors and
a lighter medium like air is a bad conductor of heat.
 Convection: It is the transfer of heat energy by the actual transfer of matter or substance from one
place to another. (Heat transfer by convection cycles in the atmosphere as well as oceans).
Factors Affecting Temperature Distribution:

1. The Angle of Incidence or the Inclination of the Sun’s Rays.

2. Duration of Sunshine: The amount of heat received
depends on the duration of day or night; clear sky or
overcast, summer or winter, etc.
 The sun rays are vertically overhead at the tropics,
thus, these areas receive more sunshine.
 Angle of inclination is perpendicular (high) to the
tropics and low at the poles.

3. Transparency of Atmosphere: The atmosphere contains

gases and solid particles which have an impact on the transparency. Aerosols (smoke, soot), dust, water vapour,
clouds, etc. affect transparency.
 Greenhouse gases trap long-wave radiation in the atmosphere and cause an increase in the temperature.
 If the wavelength (X) of the radiation is more than the radius of the obstructing particle (such as a
gas), then a scattering of radiation takes place. Example: Orange colour sun, etc
  If the wavelength is less than the obstructing particle (such as a dust particle), then total reflection takes
place.
 Absorption of solar radiation takes place if the obstructing particles happen to be water vapour, ozone
molecules, carbon dioxide molecules, or clouds.
 Most of the light received by the Earth is in the form of scattered light.

4. Land-Sea Differential: Albedo of land is much greater than the

albedo of oceans and water bodies. Example: Snow-covered
areas reflect up to 70%-90% of insolation.
 Average penetration of sunlight is more in water, up to
20 meters, than in land – where it is up to one meter only.
Therefore, the land cools or becomes hot more rapidly
compared to the oceans.
 In oceans, a continuous convection cycle helps in heat
exchange between layers keeping diurnal and annual
temperature ranges low.
 The specific heat of water is 2.5 times higher than
landmass, therefore water takes longer to get heated up and
to cool down.
 Land also absorbs the heat, however, it cannot reflect it like water bodies.
 Ocean currents transfer heat and distribute it to other areas whereas land is stationary and there is no
transfer of heat.
 Thus, in the coastal areas, the temperature is neither high nor low whereas, in continental areas, the
temperature varies to a large extent.
Note: Specific heat is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one
Celsius degree.

5. Prevailing Winds: Winds transfer heat from one latitude to another.

They also help in the exchange of heat between land and water
bodies.
 There are two types of winds- planetary winds (easterly and
westerlies) and local winds (Chinook, Fohen, etc.).
 The oceanic winds have the capacity to take the moderating
influence of the sea to coastal areas which is 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.
6. Aspects of Slope: The direction of the slope and its angle control the
amount of solar radiation received locally.
 Slopes more exposed to the sun receive more solar radiation than those
away from the sun’s direct rays.
 Slopes that receive direct sun rays are dry due to loss of moisture
through excess evaporation.

7. Ocean Currents: Ocean currents influence the temperature of

adjacent land areas considerably. Warm currents transport heat from
the equator to the poles. The cold currents transport cold water from
the poles to the equator.
8. Altitude: With the increase in height, the pressure falls, the effect of
greenhouse gases decreases, and hence temperature decreases
(applicable only to the troposphere).
 The normal lapse rate is roughly 1⁰ C for every 165 meters of ascent.
9. Earth’s Distance from the 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 aphelion.
 On 3rd January, the earth is the nearest to the sun (147 million km).
This position is called perihelion. Therefore, the annual insolation
received by the earth on the 3rd January is slightly more than the
amount received on 4th of July.
 However, the effect of this variation in the solar output is masked
by other factors like the distribution of land and sea and the
atmospheric circulation.
 Hence, this variation in the solar output does not have a great effect on daily weather changes on the
surface of the earth.

10. Latitudinal Heat Balance: The amount of insolation

received varies from one latitude to another.
 Regions within the equator and 40° N and 40°S
latitudes receive abundant sunlight and thus, more heat
is 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).
  Going by this logic, the tropics should have been getting
progressively hotter and the poles getting progressively colder and
the planet would have been inhospitable except for a few regions
near mid-latitudes. But, in reality, this does not happen.
 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.
 Most of the heat transfer takes place across the mid-latitudes (30°
to 50°) and hence, much of the stormy weather is associated with
this region.
 Thus, the transfer of surplus energy from the lower latitudes to
the deficit energy zone of the higher latitudes maintains an overall balance over the earth’s surface.

Heat Budget:
 The earth receives a certain amount of Insolation (short-wave radiation) and gives back heat into space by
terrestrial radiation (long-wave radiation).
 Through this give and take the earth maintains a constant temperature.

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