What causes climate and weather?

Solar Radiation

Solar radiation travels to the Earth from (on average) 93 million miles away, and yet it is still intense enough to be a strong control on our climate. How much radiation reaches any given spot depends on

• the latitude (distance from the Equator)
• what season it is
• the time of day
• cloudiness

On a yearly average, the distance from the Equator is the most important of these in determining the region's climate. The map to the right shows this clearly. Climate Changes with Latitude is a great Windows to the Universe website explaining this as well.

Next page   -> land/sea differences and ocean currents

Links and resources