Question

Explain the effect of latitude and ocean currents on the temperature of a place.

Answer 1

The Tropical areas are far warmer than the polar areas due to differences in the angle of incidence of the rays of the sun. At higher latitudes, the sun rays are slanting so the temperature is comparatively low whereas in lower latitudes the sun rays are vertical so the temperature is high. 

Ocean currents greatly affect the tire climate of a place or region e.g. the European western coast enjoys ice-free coasts and developed navigation due to the warm, effect of the Gulf Stream – North Atlantic Drift, while the cold current of Benguela keeps the warm South African coast cool and mild.

Ocean currents act much like a conveyor belt, transporting warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics. Thus, ocean currents regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface. Without currents in the ocean, regional temperatures would be more extreme—super hot at the equator and frigid toward the poles—and much less of Earth’s land would be habitable.