Lecture 2 - The Tropics Tropical Farming Systems Flashcards
where are the topics located on the earths surface
between the Tropic of Cancer (23.5 N of the equator) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5 S of the equator)
what percentage of the earths and ocean surface does the tropics represent
36% of the earth’s surface
20% of the land surface
43% of ocean surface
why is ag productivity so low in the tropics
no winter so crops are grown all year with no breaks. This causes increase in pests and disease problems
at what degree is the earths axis rotated
66.5
parallelism of the axis
the angle of inclination of the earth’s axis is constant
the _______ relationship between the earth and sun is responsible for the earths climate
geometrical
revolution
is the movement of the earth in an elliptical orbit around the sun
average distance of the sun to the earth
93 million miles away
the time to travel 1 orbit around the sun
1 year
how many rotations of the earth are there in a year
365.25
climate determinants
solar radiation
surface receiving solar radiation
earth’s rotation
land/sea configuration and topography
factors determining the distribution of energy
- the intensity of solar radiation
- duration of solar energy
oblique rays deliver less energy because
- there energy is spread over a large surface
- they pass through a thick layer of absorbing atmosphere
is there higher or lower temperature variation the closer you get to the equator
lower
what are some main characteristics of the temperature in the tropics
little annual variation
daily range typically higher than monthly mean
cooler temp at higher altitudes
warmer temp in continental interiors
how are trade winds created
high solar input heats up the air, causing it to rise. that creates a low pressure area and causes air flow from the higher pressure zone at higher latitude
where is the ITC
slightly to the north of the equator and moves with the second path of the sum
What does the ITCZ stand for
intertropical convergence zone