Question

Examine this Interactive Lab on Earth-Sun Geometry hosted by the University of Nebraska - Lincoln closely. After you investigate several different latitude settings, write a brief paragraph describing how solar intensity varies with latitude throughout the year. (HINT: First, set the latitude to your location by moving the stick figure in the black box in the upper right of the webpage until the “observer’s latitude” is the same as yours. Your latitude can be determined by a Google search for “New Jersey latitude”. Then click the “start animation” button in the lower right of the web page, and watch the sun angles (pictured in the box above) progress through the days of the year. Next use the red needle with the red triangle on top located to the left of the “start animation” button to move more slowly through the days to find the maximum and minimum Sun angles.)

a) Write brief paragraph here.

b) What are the maximum and minimum Sun angles at your latitude? On what dates do they occur? How do these angles compare to those that occur at the equator on the same dates?

c) What is the range of Sun angles at your latitude throughout the year? How does your range compare to the range at the equator and at the Arctic Circle?

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Answer 1

a) Solar intensity varies very strongly with latitude. The variation in solar variation also varies with latitude. The poles receive the least amount of solar radiation, while the equator receives maximum solar radiation. The largest variations are observed at the poles, with the poles receiving 0 hours of solar radiation at winter solstices and 24 hours at summer solstices. The maximum angle of the Sun's rays at the equator is 90° during the equinoxes and minimum angle is 66.5° at either solstice, while the maximum angle for the poles is 23.5° during the summer solstice, while it receive a minimum of zero solar radiation (with an angle of 156.5°).

b) For New Jersey with a latitude of 40°N, the maximum angle of the Sun's rays is 73.5° during the summer solstice, while the minimum angle is 26.5 during the winter solstice. The summer solstice and winter solstice angles for summer is 66.5°. Summer solstice is on 21 June, while winter solstice is on 21 December.

c) The range of Sun angles is 47° for New Jersey, 23.5 for the equator and 133° for the poles. Thus, the variation at the poles is greatest, the variation at the equator is the least, with the variation at New Jersey intermediate between the two.