Horizontal Distribution of

Temperature

Prepared by
Gayatri Hazarika
BA 3rd Semester
North Lakhimpur College (Autonomous)
Introduction:

If the Earth was a homogeneous body without

the present land/ocean distribution, its
temperature distribution would be strictly
latitudinal. However, the Earth is more
complex than this, being composed of a mosaic
of land and water. This mosaic causes
latitudinal (horizontal) zonation of
temperature to be disrupted spatially.
Horizontal Distribution of Temperature

Isotherms – maps, connect lines of equal

temperature.
Seasonal variation of surface air
temperature.
 Principal Controls on Temperature

Latitudinal variations in net radiation.

Wind and Ocean Currents
Altitude
Cloud cover
Maritime effect Continental effect
Aspect
Latitudinal Variations
• Latitude is the distance (measured in degrees) to the north and south of the
Equator.
• The further away the location is from the equator, the smaller the angle at
which the sun's rays strike the earth.
• Away from the equator, the angle of incidence of the sun's ray is less
than90deg, thus solar radiation is spread over a larger area. Therefore less
intense heating takes place, causing temperature to become lower.
• The smaller the angle of incidence of the sun's rays, the greater the distance
through the atmosphere the rays have to pass. More heat is absorbed by the
atmosphere or reflected back into outer space, which results in less heat
reaching the Earth's surface
ALTITUDE
• Altitude is the height of a point above the sea level.
• Temperature decreases by 6.5 deg C for every increase in
1,000m increase in altitude
• The air at high altitudes is thin. At higher altitudes, the air is
made up of a smaller concentration of gas, dust and water vapor
than the dense air at sea level. Thin air is unable to absorb heat
as effectively as the dense air at sea level because it has a
smaller concentration of gases to trap heat. Thus places at
higher altitudes have a lower temperature
Cloud cover
Tropical areas with dense cloud
cover, due to high humidity in the
air, experience a smaller difference
in day and night temperatures.
Temperate areas with less cloud
cover, due to low humidity in the air,
experience a larger difference in day
and night temperatures.

During the day, in tropical areas

with more cloud cover, clouds
absorb incoming solar insolation
from the Sun. Clouds also reflect
part of the incoming solar radiation
back into outer space.
Maritime Effect and Continental Effect

An inland location is further away from the sea,

while a coastal location is close to the sea.
The land heats up and cools down more quickly
than the sea.
During winter, the air over the sea remains
relatively warm compared to the air over the land
because the sea loses heat slower than the land.
The onshore winds blow warmer air towards the
land, raising the winter temperatures of the coastal
areas.
 ASPECT
Aspect refers to the position of a mountain slope in
relation to the direction of the Sun's rays.
The effect of aspect on temperature is more marked
in temperate latitudes. In tropical latitudes, the angle
of the mid day sun is high. The effect of aspect on
temperature is less noticeable.
In the northern hemisphere, the south-facing slopes
are warmer than the north-facing slopes. This is
because south-facing slopes receive more direct solar
energy and are protected from polar cold winds. The
sun's rays reach them at a steeper angle, so the heat is
distributed over a smaller area.
 References:

https://www.slideshare.net/szl/presentation-
on-horizontal-differences-of-temperature.