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What effect does Earth’s spherical shape have on the amount of sunlight that reaches the equator?

A.
The latitudes near the equator receive direct sunlight, which causes a high-pressure system.
B.
The latitudes near the equator receive indirect sunlight, which causes a low-pressure system.
C.
The latitudes near the equator receive direct sunlight, which causes a low-pressure system.
D.
The latitudes near the equator receive indirect sunlight, which causes a high-pressure system.

2 Answers

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Final answer:

The Earth's spherical shape affects the amount of sunlight that reaches the equator by creating a high-pressure system due to direct sunlight. This has significant impacts on Earth's climate zones and weather patterns.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Earth's spherical shape affects the amount of sunlight that reaches the equator in the following way: the latitudes near the equator receive direct sunlight, which causes a high-pressure system. The direct sunlight at the equator warms the air, causing it to rise and creating an area of low pressure. This atmospheric circulation pattern, known as the Hadley cell, is fueled by the intense solar radiation at the equator and plays a key role in the formation of Earth's climate zones and weather patterns.

User Josh Pearce
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C. The latitudes near the equator receive direct sunlight, which causes a low-pressure system.

Step-by-step explanation:

The spherical shape of Earth has very big influence on the climatic conditions on it. The sunlight is falling at different angles at different places, the air pressure is different, the wind belts are influenced by it, the temperature variations are very large etc.

Near the equator, for example, the sunlight falls at more direct angle. This means that the sunlight is more concentrated, so the surface receives more heat. The temperatures are high because of this all year round, and the air pressure is mostly low, as the warm air is more dispersed and weighs less, and the high evaporation means lot of water vapor which lowers the weight of the air even more.

User Carleny
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