Why summers are hotter than winters

Earth Science. Alan P. May 13, Explanation: When the earth is tilted towards the sun the same cross-sectional area of sun's rays are concentrated on a smaller area of the earth's surface. Related questions How do I determine the molecular shape of a molecule?

What is the lewis structure for co2? I think the second explanation squibs it a bit, and would benefit from a more detailed discussion. The rest of this article is an updated version of that article. Each morning the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. About midday it is at it highest point in the sky the zenith A shadow stick would cast no shadow if the sun was directly overhead — but this only happens if you are located in the tropics and even then on only two days a year.

The tropics lie within The Arctic and Antarctic Circles at 66 degrees mark the points north or south where there will be some days or nights that are 24 hours long. The less overhead it is, the less effective at heating things up. We notice the difference in heat between the high-in-the-sky sun at noon and the low-in-the-sky sun at sunset. The concentration of light — how spread out it is at any point.

The more the sun is directly overhead , the less spread out are its rays when they hit the earth. A torch shone straight down towards the floor gives a a circle of light, but tilt it a bit sideways and the light forms a stretched oval shape. The same amount of energy covers a larger area, so at any one point the light rays are less intense.

The earth is protected by the gases that make up the atmosphere. If the sun is less directly overhead, the rays have to pass through more of the atmosphere, and therefore are obstructed by more of the gas molecules.

They are exhausted by the time they reach Sweden! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Marine heat waves are also increasing. Find out about the Royal Society's latest work on energy, environment and climate.

Skip to content You currently have JavaScript disabled in your web browser, please enable JavaScript to view our website as intended. If the world is warming, why are some winters and summers still very cold? Climate change: evidence and causes. Was this page useful? Yes No.