Tropics

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/tropics

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the solar insolation?Characterized by high and consistent solar radiation angles throughout the year
2. What is the global climate influence?Significant role in regulating global weather, carbon cycles, and oxygen production
3. What are the tropics and where are they located?The tropics are the warm, sunny part of Earth between the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the south. They cover about 40% of the planet's surface.
4. Why is it always warm in the tropics?Because the Earth's tilt is only 23.5°, the sun's rays hit the tropics almost straight on all year. This keeps the temperatures high and the seasons very similar.

Insolation: The amount of solar radiation received at a particular location on Earth's surface.
Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ): A global band of low pressure near the equator where trade winds converge, causing heavy rainfall.
Evapotranspiration: The process by which moisture is transferred from land to the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil and other surfaces and by transpiration from plants.
Carbon Sink: A natural reservoir that accumulates and stores carbon-containing chemical compounds for an indefinite period.