Latitudinal variations, Biology

Assignment Help:

Latitudinal Variations

The latitudinal variation of temperature over the earth is the result of two main variables

  • incoming solar radiation and
  • the distribution of land and water masses

 

What do you think could be the other factors influencing temperature?

The movement of wind and water, and the direction of slopes of hills and mountains also modify the temperature.

We know that the length of the day varies at higher latitudes. That means the incoming solar radiation varies. However, if we compute the average, every point on the earth gets the same total hours of daylight each year, an average of 12 hours per day, but not the same amount of heat. The latter depends upbn the amount of radiant energy delivered/unit area/hr and this depends upon the angle of landing sunlight. You have learnt in the previous section that vertical beams afe more intense than the oblique beams that land on the higher latitudes. Hence we find a gradual decrease in the amount of incident radiant energytunit area along the increasing latitudes, horizontally.

On the basis of temperature variation three distinct heat zones can be distinguished in each hemisphere (Figure shown below). The hot torrid zones are near the equator. moderate or temperate zones are in the middle, the cold zones are at the poles. Each zone is characterised by typical plants and animal populations found in the area.

1963_heat zones.jpg


Related Discussions:- Latitudinal variations

Describe excretory system of annelids, Q. How be able to the excretory syst...

Q. How be able to the excretory system of annelids be described? In each segment (metamere) of the being a pair of complete excretory structures known as metanephridium exists.

Regulation of ovarian activity, Normal 0 false false false ...

Normal 0 false false false EN-IN X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Explain the bioavailability of nicotinic acid, Explain the Bioavailability ...

Explain the Bioavailability of Nicotinic Acid? We have already learnt earlier that niacin is provided in the diet primarily as the pyridine nucleotides-NAD and NADP. In additio

Explain gum karaya, Gum Karaya Gum karaya (sterculia gum) is the...

Gum Karaya Gum karaya (sterculia gum) is the dried gummy exudate from Sterculia urens Roxburgh and other species of Sterculia (Family: Sterculiaceae) or from Cochlosperm

Spatial conformation like an enzymatic substrate, Q. For the enzymatic reac...

Q. For the enzymatic reaction what is the effect of a substance with the same spatial conformation like an enzymatic substrate? How is this kind of substance known? Substances

Explain the clinical manifestations for obesity, Explain the Clinical manif...

Explain the Clinical manifestations for Obesity? You must have observed that your overweight friends and colleagues seem to have less energy which makes them an easy prey for f

Disorder of parathyroid function, Disorder of Parathyroid Function: Th...

Disorder of Parathyroid Function: The disorders of parathyroid function may  either  lead  to increased production or decreased production of parathormone.  Hypoparathyroid

Explain complex or undefined media, Explain Complex or Undefined Media? ...

Explain Complex or Undefined Media? Here, the exact composition of the medium is not known. It contains some complex components of plant and animal extracts whose exact chemica

Use of alternate metabolic pathways, Use of Alternate Metabolic Pathways ...

Use of Alternate Metabolic Pathways Plants surviving under water-logged conditions offer the simplest example of such a response. The submerged parts of such plants use the an

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd