You tropics are a set of imaginary lines present on planet Earth, also known as parallels. Those parallels they are decisive worldwide, as they differentiate their climatic zones. In total there are two, one present in the Northern Hemisphere — Tropic of Cancer — and another in the Southern Hemisphere — Tropic of Capricorn.
You Tropics cross the Earth in the East-West direction and do not meet each other. In addition to having a function related to the Earth's thermal zones, they also influence the seasons of the year with the presence of the solstices and equinoxes.
Read too:Translation movement - main cause of the existence of the seasons of the year
What is tropic?
O Pplanet Earth has two tropics, they are Cancer and Capricorn. the tropics are imaginary lines, drawn parallel to the equator, which circle the entire Earth. These lines are arranged in the Northern Hemisphere (above the Equator) and the Southern Hemisphere (below the Equator).
The tropics of the Earth are traced in a parallel way, that is, they do not cross the Equator line, and
have similar geographic coordinates, but one to the north and one to the south. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Tropic of Cancer has the coordinate of 23º 27’ N (23 degrees and 27 minutes North), and in the Southern Hemisphere, the Tropic of Capricorn has the coordinate of 23º 27’ S (23 degrees and 27 minutes South). Remembering that the 0º coordinate is of the Equator Line.
Importance of the tropics
The tropics have some important functions for the Earth, among them we highlight that of demarcate the zonas thermics, that is, the areas where there is a greater or lesser incidence of temperature. The planet has five thermal zones:
- Arctic Polar Zone
- North Temperate Zone
- Intertropical Zone
- Southern Temperate Zone
- Antarctic Polar Zone
It is possible to say, then, that there are areas with greater solar incidence, which receive more shello during the year that others. Ranges between the tropics in the intertropical zone are brighter and generally warmer.
Another function of the tropics is to assist in demarcation of andstations of Theat the (Prhyme, summer, Oautumn it's winter). So we must consider them to observe changes in seasons. The reference that must be considered is the vertical axis of the Sun, when the star reaches the Tropic of Cancer, there summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and the opposite occurs when the vertical axis reaches the Tropic of Capricorn, with summer in the Southern Hemisphere and Winter In the north.
To understand the role of the tropics in the seasons of the year, we need to know what the solstices and andquinoxes.
- Solstices: they occur when the day is longer than the night.
- Equinoxes: they occur when day and night have the same length.
These phenomena are related to the incidence of the Sun on Earth, as the planet receives solar rays in a different way, according to the time of year. The importance of the tropics is precisely that of demarcating the limits of the areas where the rays strike, that is, where the sun's rays fall vertically (when the Sun arrives straight to the tropics) characterizes the solstices, and when the Sun hits the Earth obliquely or perpendicularly (when the sun's rays reach the tropics more inclined), we have the equinoxes.
See too: Why is the Earth round?
Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer is a parallel located north of the equator, at the North hemisphere. This imaginary line has the coordinate of 23º 27’ N (23 degrees and 27 minutes North) and passes through the following countries:
- Saudi Arabia
- Algeria
- Bahamas
- Bangladesh
- Chad
- China
- Egypt
- United Arab Emirates
- U.S
- India
- Libya
- mali
- Mauritania
- Mexico
- Myanmar
- Niger
- Oman
- Taiwan
Tropic of Capricorn
The Tropic of Capricorn is the opposite of the Tropic of Cancer, as is located inSouth hemisphere, with the same coordinate, 23º 27’ S (23 degrees and 27 min South). The imaginary line cuts across countries:
- South Africa
- Argentina
- Australia
- Brazil
- Botswana
- Chile
- Mozambique
- Madagascar
- Namibia
- Paraguay
Tropics in Brazil
Brazil is a continental country, for this reason, it has two parallels crossing their territory, being they the Equator Line and the Tropic of Capricorn. The tropic passes through three Brazilian states, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná and São Paulo. The imaginary line determines the climatic zones in the country, directly interfering in the division climate characteristic of the temperate zone, as it is where different seasons of the year occur from the country.
In the three southern Brazilian states, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, it is common to observe the presence of four well-defined seasons of the year, with their own characteristics, being the very harsh winter, spring with colorful trees with flowers, autumn with trees that lose their foliage, and hot summer, which can be quite unusual in the rest of the territory.
Also access: Why does it rain a lot in the Amazon?
solved exercises
Question 1 - ?(Unicamp) The image below shows a place where the Tropic of Capricorn passes. About the Tropic of Capricorn, we can say that:
a) It is the imaginary line south of the equator, where the sun's rays fall on the surface in a way
perpendicular, which occurs on a single day of the year.
b) The sun's rays fall perpendicularly on this imaginary line during the winter solstice, which occurs twice a year.
c) During the equinox, the sun's rays perpendicularly strike the surface in the Tropic of
Capricorn, marking the beginning of summer.
d) In early summer (December 21st or 22nd), the nights are as long as the days on the Tropic of Capricorn.
Resolution
Alternative A. The Tropic of Capricorn, located in the Earth's Southern Hemisphere, is responsible for determining the presence of the autumnal equinox in the same hemisphere.
Question 2 - Considering all the parallels in the world, which parallel is responsible for the summer solstice in the Earth's Northern Hemisphere?
a) Arctic Circle
b) Tropic of Cancer
c) Equator line
d) Tropic of Capricorn
Resolution
Alternative B. The Tropic of Cancer is present in the Earth's Northern Hemisphere and is also responsible for determining the summer solstice in that hemisphere.
