The equator is located at the mid-point between the North Pole and the South Pole. It is at zero degrees latitude and it creates the dividing line between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.
The Sun’s Influence on the Equator
The sun’s rays strike the equator at a right angle (90 °) in an area between 23 ° South latitude and 23 ° North latitude. This is totally opposite to the North or South Pole, where the sun disappears during their respective winter months.
Radiation levels are higher at the equator than any other place on Earth. This is due to the more direct angle of the sun’s rays to the earth. The further you move away from the equator, the more the sun’s angle decreases and the same with its intensity. The radiation levels at the North and South Poles are very low.
Wind Patterns at the Equator
The Earth is surrounded by wind patterns that circulate in different directions but interact with each other. It is based on the movement of hot and cold air masses.
The bands of wind situated immediately north and south of the equator are called the trade winds. In the Northern Hemisphere, the wind blows from the northeast and it blows from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere.
When the warm trade winds meet at the equator, it causes the air to rise. As the air ascends, it cools down, resulting in the formation of rain and clouds.
Weather Patterns at the Equator
The climate at the equator is considered to be hot and humid. Due to the formation of rain and clouds in the rising hot air, rainfall is abundant. It is quite common to see thunderstorms every day, usually at noon. Once the storm passes, the sunshine returns. The vegetation is very lush at the equator, as evidenced in the Amazon Basin in Brazil, the Congo Basin in West Africa, and Indonesia.
At the equator, there are no distinct seasons where there are temperature variances but there are two wet and dry seasons per year. As you go further away from the equator, there is only one wet and dry season per year. In the Southern Hemisphere, the wet season is from November to February while it is wet in the Northern Hemisphere from May to July.
The Encyclopedia of the Atmosphere Environment describes the temperatures at the equator. “Because a substantial part of the Sun’s heat is used up in evaporation and rain formation, temperatures in the tropics rarely exceed 35°C; a daytime maximum of 32°C is more common. At night the abundant cloud cover restricts heat loss, and minimum temperatures fall no lower than about 22°C.”
At the equator, the sun shines for 12 hours a day all year round. In addition, the sunrises and sunsets are the quickest in the world.
Temperature Conversion:
35°C = 95°F
32°C = 90°F
22°C = 72°F
Sources:
Hare, Sue. Buchdahl, Joe. Encyclopedia of the Atmospheric Environment. Atmosphere, Climate & Environment Information Programme. ARIC @ 2000. Accessed January 15, 2011.
Opie, Alexandra. Weather Around the World. Canterbury Broad Oak Environmental Education Centre. Accessed January 15, 2011.
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