Section 3
Describe the variable of sun angle and incoming solar radiation through the year.
The angle of incoming solar radiation influences seasonal temperatures of locations at different latitudes. When the sun’s rays strike Earth’s surface near the equator, the incoming solar radiation is more direct. Therefore, the solar radiation is concentrated over a smaller surface area, causing warmer temperatures. At higher latitudes, the angle of solar radiation is smaller, causing energy to be spread over a larger area of the surface and cooler temperatures. Because the angle of radiation varies depending on the latitude, surface temperatures on average are warmer at lower latitudes and cooler at higher latitudes.
The intensity of solar radiation is largely a function of the angle of incidence, the angle at which the Sun's rays strike the Earth's surface. If the Sun is positioned directly overhead or 90° from the horizon, the incoming insolation strikes the surface of the Earth at right angles and is most intense. If the Sun is 45° above the horizon, the incoming insolation strikes the Earth's surface at an angle. This causes the rays to be spread out over a larger surface area reducing the intensity of the radiation.
Tampa is located at 27.9681° N Latitude, the Tropic of Cancer. The graph below illustrates the incoming solar radiation at 0°, 30°N, 60°N, and 90°N. The green line showing 30°N is a good reference point for identifying the incoming solar radiation in Tampa for the year. At 30°N latitude, the incoming solar radiation varies from roughly 230Wm-2 - 480 Wm-2. Here on Long Island, we are located at 40.8°N latitude. By understanding how the insolation varies even greater at 60°N, roughly 20Wm-2 - 460 Wm-2, we can understand why our temperature varies more than the warmer weather typically experienced in Tampa. The smaller difference from crest to trough shows how Tampa maintains a warm climate, as you climb roughly 10°N towards where we live, the variation we experience is shown through the seasonal changes we endure.
The intensity of solar radiation is largely a function of the angle of incidence, the angle at which the Sun's rays strike the Earth's surface. If the Sun is positioned directly overhead or 90° from the horizon, the incoming insolation strikes the surface of the Earth at right angles and is most intense. If the Sun is 45° above the horizon, the incoming insolation strikes the Earth's surface at an angle. This causes the rays to be spread out over a larger surface area reducing the intensity of the radiation.
Tampa is located at 27.9681° N Latitude, the Tropic of Cancer. The graph below illustrates the incoming solar radiation at 0°, 30°N, 60°N, and 90°N. The green line showing 30°N is a good reference point for identifying the incoming solar radiation in Tampa for the year. At 30°N latitude, the incoming solar radiation varies from roughly 230Wm-2 - 480 Wm-2. Here on Long Island, we are located at 40.8°N latitude. By understanding how the insolation varies even greater at 60°N, roughly 20Wm-2 - 460 Wm-2, we can understand why our temperature varies more than the warmer weather typically experienced in Tampa. The smaller difference from crest to trough shows how Tampa maintains a warm climate, as you climb roughly 10°N towards where we live, the variation we experience is shown through the seasonal changes we endure.
The equator experiences 12 hours of day light and nighttime, as you climb in latitude the average hours of day length vary depending on the time of year. During the June Solstice, the northern hemisphere experiences its longest amount of sunlight, and the December Solstice is the opposite with the shortest day length. Tampa’s day length does not vary as much as it does here in New York. Tampa varies roughly from 10-14 hours annually where New York experiences more sunlight during the June Solstice and less during the December Solstice.