Theory question 307
Weather(a) Identify four factors which influence the amount of rainfall received in an area. (b) With the aid of a diagram, describe how latitude affects the temperature of a place.
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(a) Latitude; distance from the sea; relief (windward or leeward side); prevailing winds and air masses; ocean currents; pressure belts (e.g. ITCZ); vegetation; altitude.
(b) Diagram: globe with the sun's rays striking the equator vertically and the poles obliquely. In low latitudes the midday sun is high (overhead at some time of year), so its rays are concentrated on a small area and pass through a thin layer of atmosphere, giving high temperatures; towards the poles the rays are slanting, spread over a larger area and travel through more atmosphere, losing more heat, so temperatures are lower. Temperature therefore decreases from the equator to the poles.
Compare vertical and slanting rays.