FATORS AFFECTING CLIMATE

(Global Climatic Factors)

1. Latitude
2. Solar Radiation Quality & Quantity
3. Tilt of Earth Axis
4. Earth Thermal Balance
5. Global Wind Pattern
6. Influence of Topography
1.Latitude

 Latitude controls the amount of solar radiation reaches the surface of the
earth.
 As latitude increases, the average annual temperature decreases.
Solar Radiation Quality &
Quantity

Quality:
 The earth receive almost all its energy from the
sun in the form of radiation.
 The sun is the dominating influence on
climates.
Solar Radiation Quality &
Quantity
The spectrum of solar radiation extends from 290-2300 nm.
a) Ultra –violet radiation (UV): 290-380nm-
photochemical effects, bleaching, sun burn.
b) Visible lights:380-700 nm
c) Short infrared radiation: 700-2300nm- radiant heat
with some photo chemical effects.
 Solar Radiation Quality &
Quantity
Quantity:
 The sun emits 384,600,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 watts (3.846 x
1026 W) . For comparison, the average incandescent light bulb consumes
40-100 watts. 

 The intensity of radiation reaching the upper surface of the

atmosphere is taken as the solar constant (1395 w/m²).
Solar Radiation Quality &
Quantity
The earth sun relationship affects the amount of solar
radiation at a particular point on the earth surface in
three ways:
1. The cosine law.
2. Atmospheric depletion
3. Duration of sunshine period
Solar Radiation Quality &
Quantity
I. The cosine law: which states that the intensity on the
tilted surface equals to the normal intensity times the
cosine of the angle of incidence. The same amount of
radiation is distribution over a large area, therefore less
radiation falls on unit area.
Cos β = B/c, Area C > Area B

Ic = IB * cos β

β
β
 Solar Radiation Quality &
Quantity
ii. Atmospheric depletion:
 The absorption of radiation by ozone, vapors and dust
particles in the atmosphere.
 The lower the solar altitude angle, the longer the solar
altitude angle, the longer the path of radiation through the
atmosphere, thus the smaller part reaches the surface.
 Solar Radiation Quality &
Quantity

iii Duration of sunshine period: The length of the day

night period.
3. Tilt of earth axis

 The earth rotates

around its own axis,
each rotation making
24hrs/day.
 The axis of this rotation
is tilted to the plane of
the elliptical orbit at an
angle of 66½° ( tilt of
23.5° from the normal)
3. Tilt of earth axis
 The revolution of the earth and the inclination of its axis result is:

I. Changes in the altitude of the mid day sun

at different times of the year.
II. Varying lengths of the day and night
III. Four seasons
4.Earth thermal balance
 The total amount of heat absorbed by the earth each year is
balanced by a corresponding heat loss.
Earth thermal balance

 Land heats up more

quickly than water
and land cools more
quickly than water.
Due to this the
coastal regions to be
warmed by the seas in
winter and cooled by
them in summer.
5. Global wind pattern

 Wind is caused by differences in pressure resulting from

differential heating of the earth’s surface
 As the air molecules are heated they move more rapidly
decreasing the density of an air massed and it rises.
 Areas of warm rising air have low pressures.
 Winds result from the earth trying to equalize from areas
to high to those with a low pressure across a pressure
gradient. (an example of this is off and on shore breezes.)
 Theoretically global wind patterns would be two large
convection cells with warm air rising at the equator and
falling at the poles which in turn would flow back to the
equator
 Convectional cells from where warm air coming from the
equator meets cold air moving in the opposite direction
creating a high pressure system as the air sinks.
 The sub tropical highs occur at approximately 30° and polar
fronts occur at approximately 60°
 The descending air of the subtropical highs leads to two
wind patterns on the surface, the trade winds ( blowing
towards the equator) and the westerlies ( blowing towards
the poles)
 The trade winds converge near the equator and rise as they
are heated creating the area known as the Inter Tropical
Converge Zone (ITCZ) or doldrums.
Global wind pattern
Influence of Topography

All the climatic factors are strongly influenced by topography.

a) Elevation :
• As altitude increases, the corresponding temperature of
air decreases
• It decreases at the environmental laps rate of 6.4° C/
1000m
• Solar radiation only turns into heat when it is absorbed
by a body of matter
• Lower down in the atmosphere the air is denser and
contains more water vapour, air molecules, dust etc.
• Therefore more energy can be absorbed and turned into
heat (longwave radiation) at lower elevations
Influence of Topography

b) Relief:
 Mountains form a natural
barrier that causes air
masses to rise
 As air is forced to rise it
expands as gravity
decreases, it becomes less
dense and cools (10°C in
1000m)
 Eventually it will reach an
altitude where the in the
air condenses forming
clouds ((high precipitation
in windward side)
Influence of Topography

c) Near water:
 Water body provides a source of moisture for the
land masses of the world
 Land can heat up or cool down much quicker than
water , so the water has a moderating affect on
the land around it.
 In the summer the water acts like an air
conditioner to keep the air temperature cool
 In winter water acts like a heater to keep the
temperature from getting cold
 This is most noticeable in the mid- latitude where
there ia a constant onshore wind.