Earth Science Temperature Questions?

Question

Hi! I'm having a lot of trouble with these two prolbems in my Earth Science packet. Please help and explain!

1.Explain why the climate near the Equator is warm and moist.

2.From January to July, there is a smaller temperauter change in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere. Explain why the Southern Hamisphere's larger ocean-water surface causes this smaller temperauter change.

THANKS :D

2.

Answer 1

1.  As you probably know, the sun's light does not reach every part of earth equally.  When it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the earth is tilted with the northern half pointing towards the sun and the south is pointing away (southern hemisphere has winter at the same time northern hemi. has summer).  Anyway, no matter what time of the year, the light reaching the equator area is almost always straight on.  That means physically the light coming down is perpendicular with the ground, giving it the most intense heat of anywhere on Earth.  That is why its warm.  It's moist because more intense light and heat leads to more evaporation, causing more water content in the air than in other places.

2.  The larger ocean surface in the southern hemisphere is indeed what causes the smaller diff. in temp.  This has to do with properties of water, which includes a "high specific heat".  This means that water can absorb a relatively large amount of energy before its molecules begin releasing their own energy (heat).  On the other hand, land gives off heat after absorbing relatively little amount of energy.

This can be experienced in your own backyard.  When you go out to your pool on a summer day or to the beach and you may have to run across the cement/sand to get to the water.  The cement is hotter than the pool.  Why?  Both have been subjected to the same amount of light energy for the same amount of time...  The answer is because water absorbs more heat in its molecules.

Similarly, the Southern Hemispere has a more constant temperature than the Northern because there is more water surface to absorb the energy.

Answer 2

The equator has short days and nights all year but the total hours of sunlight days is the highest of all places . When there is more water near land the water tends to moderate temperatures as it is slow to warm and slower to cool.