Definition of Tropics
The Earth can be considered as a sphere, the tropics are the imaginary lines that are drawn to separate the land.
Earth is just 0.33 percent flattened at the poles. And let’s finish with the influence of the 23.5° inclination of the axis of rotation on the summer and winter solstices.
The word tropic has its etymological origin in the Greek language «tropikós» from where it passed into Latin as «tropicus» being its meaning: twist or turn.
In the first one (summer), the Sun hits perpendicularly on the parallel that is located 23.5″ above the Equator, which is called the Tropic of Cancer. And let’s continue with the famous 23.5°.
If we move south from the North Pole those 23.5″ we will arrive at what is called Arctic Circle (That is why its latitude is said to be 66.5″ north, which is the difference between 90° and 23.5°).
Between this parallel and the North Pole the Sun will not set for as long as it takes the Earth to complete one rotation on the day of the summer solstice.
It is the famous midnight sun. The same can be reasoned in the southern hemisphere and we will arrive at the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle.
And between it and the South Pole they will enjoy complete darkness as the Earth makes one complete revolution that day.
But six months later the roles of the hemispheres will be reversed and the Sun will be perpendicular to the Tropic of Capricorn.
Effects of Climate in the Tropics
Equatorial climates are characterized by abundant rainfall (between 1,500 and 2,000 liters per year and even more) and it is distributed almost equally every month of the year.
The temperatures are always warmabove 20º on average every day and every month.
The annual thermal amplitude is less than 5º and even on occasions of only 1º. This climate is located in the equatorial strip of the Earth.
The Tropical climate is characterized by warm temperatures above 20 degrees every month of the year.
The rains are abundant although less than in the equatorial climate and are characterized by a rainy season that can last between 3 and 9 months a year and a dry season that can last between 3 and 9 months a year.
Tropical climates near the equatorial zone have a short dry season, but areas near the desert have a dry season of up to nine months. The thermal amplitude is around 5 degrees.
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