What are the tropics in geography. The main parallels of the Earth. The Northern Tropic and its geography. Naming the Tropic of Cancer

The Tropic of Cancer, also known as the Tropic of the North, is a line of latitude (parallel) surrounding the Earth as of 2017 at about 23°26′13″ (or 23.43695°) north of . This is the northernmost latitude on Earth, where Sun rays may fall at right angles at noon local time during the summer solstice. The Tropic of Cancer is one of the five major parallels or lines of latitude dividing the Earth (the others are the Tropic of Capricorn, the Equator, the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle).

The position of the Northern Tropic is not fixed, and changes in complex ways over time. It is currently drifting gradually southward at almost half an arcsecond (0.468") latitude, or 15 meters per year. It was located at 23°27" N. w. in 1917 and will be located at 23°26"N in 2045. The length of the Tropic of Cancer on December 11, 2015, at 23°26"14"N was 36,788 km (22,859 miles).

Naming the Tropic of Cancer

At the time of the summer solstice, when the Tropic of Cancer was named, the Sun was in the constellation Cancer. However, since this name was assigned over 2000 years ago, the Sun is no longer in the constellation Cancer. Now it is in the constellation Taurus. In most cases, the Tropic of Cancer is defined by its latitudinal location at approximately 23.5° N. w.

Climate

With the exception of the colder highland regions in China, the climate within the Tropic of Cancer is generally hot and dry for the eastern coastal regions. Most regions located in the Tropic of North experience two distinct seasons: extremely hot summers with temperatures often reaching 45°C and warm winters with highs around 22°C. Much of the land south of the Tropic of Cancer is part of the Sahara Desert, while in the east the climate hot monsoon with a short rainy season from June to September and very little rainfall during the rest of the year.

Tropic of Cancer Meaning

Besides being used to divide the Earth into different parts that improve navigation and mark the northern boundary of the tropics, the Tropic of North also has great importance for solar insolation of the planet and the formation of seasons. Solar insolation is the amount of solar radiation entering the earth's surface.

Solar radiation levels vary from geographical location and seasons of the year. Solar insolation is greatest at the subsolar point (the point on Earth where the rays strike at a 90° angle to the planet's surface), which migrates annually between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn due to the Earth's axial tilt. If the subsolar point is in the Tropic of Cancer during the June solstice, then the Northern Hemisphere receives the greatest solar insolation.

During the June solstice, since the amount of solar radiation is greatest in the Tropic of Cancer, areas north of it in the Northern Hemisphere also receive significant amounts of solar energy, which keeps it warm and creates summer. In addition, areas in latitudes above the Arctic Circle receive 24 hours daylight for 6 months. In contrast, the Antarctic Circle is plunged into darkness for half the year, and lower latitudes experience a winter season due to weak solar insolation, insufficient solar energy and lower temperatures.

Here is a detailed map of Tropic with street names in Russian and house numbers. You can easily get directions by moving the map in all directions with the mouse or clicking on the arrows in the upper left corner. You can change the scale using the scale with the “+” and “-” icons located on the map on the right. The easiest way to adjust the image size is by rotating the mouse wheel.

What country is the city of Tropic in?

Tropic is located in the USA. This is a wonderful, beautiful city, with its own history and traditions. Tropic coordinates: north latitude and east longitude (show on large map).

Virtual walk

Interactive map of Tropic with landmarks and other tourist attractions - indispensable assistant on an independent journey. For example, in the “Map” mode, the icon of which is in the upper left corner, you can see a city plan, as well as a detailed map of roads with route numbers. You can also see the city's railway stations and airports marked on the map. Nearby you see the “Satellite” button. By turning on satellite mode, you will examine the terrain, and by enlarging the image, you will be able to study the city in great detail (thanks to satellite maps from Google Maps).

Move the “little man” from the lower right corner of the map to any street in the city, and you can take a virtual walk along the Tropic. Adjust the direction of movement using the arrows that appear in the center of the screen. By turning the mouse wheel, you can zoom in or out of the image.

Among the parallels of the planet, there are three very important parallels, the existence of which is determined by the laws of physics and geometry - the equator, the tropic and the polar circle. Like any other parallel, these are imaginary lines that do not exist on the surface of the Earth in reality, but knowing where these parallels come from is very important for understanding the entire geography course. So, what is it, let's start with the simplest:

Equator

The equator is an imaginary line that divides the Earth into two equal hemispheres - the Northern and Southern. The Earth has an almost spherical shape, while rotating stably around its axis. This allows us to find a plane that would divide the Earth into two equal halves. The earth's axis will be perpendicular to this plane, and the line that is formed when this plane intersects with the surface of the planet will be the equator. The equator is also the longest parallel on Earth, with an approximate length of 40,000 kilometers. What the equator is is clear mathematically - a line dividing the Earth into equal halves, but what is the significance of the equator for geography? The fact is that the equator is also a very important line for understanding climate processes. The equatorial region of the Earth, namely the part of the planet located between the tropics (see below), receives the most sunlight and heat. This is not surprising, because this part of the Earth is always turned towards the Sun so that the rays fall on it almost vertically. This leads to very strong heating of the equatorial areas of the planet throughout the year; the hottest equatorial air mass is formed here due to strong evaporation. At the equator itself, the Sun rises to the zenith twice a year, that is, it shines vertically downwards, rising to the highest point of the sky (in Russia, for example, we will never be able to observe such a phenomenon), it is noteworthy that at the equator this happens on days equinoxes, when day is equal to night throughout the planet. The equinoxes occur on the 20th of March and the 20th of September, although the days of the equinoxes are usually considered to be March 21 and September 23.

Tropics

The tropic is a parallel where the sun is at its zenith once a year - on the solstice. There are two tropics on Earth - North and South. If you look at the picture, you will see that June 22 (on the day of the summer solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is most turned towards the Sun)

The sun appears at its zenith over the Northern Tropic, and on December 22 (when the Southern Hemisphere is most turned toward the sun) over the Southern Hemisphere. The Tropic of North and South are also sometimes named after the zodiac constellations in which the Sun appears these days - the Tropic of North is called the Tropic of Cancer, and the Tropic of South is called the Tropic of Capricorn (June and December, respectively). Perhaps someone has already noticed that the latitude of the tropics coincides with the angle of inclination of the earth’s axis and is equal to 23.5°. This value is not random and is determined precisely by the tilt of the planet’s axis. Indeed, at any point on the planet the sun above the horizon changes its height throughout the year, this is due to the tilt of the earth’s axis, since the planet maintains an inclination throughout the year; it turns towards the Sun for half a year with one hemisphere, and half a year with the other. On the days of the equinoxes, the axis is rotated so that the Sun shines on it as if from the side, illuminating the planet from pole to pole, at the poles, by the way, at this moment sunset occurs on one, and sunrise on the other - a phenomenon that occurs there once a year (! ). At the equinoxes, the hemispheres of the planet are equally illuminated, and in the sky at astronomical noon the Sun occupies its average position in the year. Due to the tilt of the earth's axis at 23.5° from its average position, in summer the sun in the sky will be able to rise a maximum of another 23.5° higher, and in winter it will drop below its position at the equinox by 23.5°. What does this lead to? This leads, in particular, to the fact that an area appears on the planet where twice a year the Sun is at an altitude of 90° - at the zenith. This region is located just between the tropics - the tropics limit it. In the tropics themselves, the sun is at its zenith in the sky only once a year. That is why for everyone who lives north of the Northern and southern Tropics of the South, it will not be possible to observe the sun at its zenith in their area.

Arctic Circles

The Arctic Circle is a parallel above which the phenomena of the polar day and polar night are observed. The value of the latitude at which the polar circles of the planet are located is also determined mathematically. It is equal to 90° minus the tilt of the planet's axis. For the Earth, the latitude of the polar circles is 66.5°. North of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle, a very interesting phenomenon of polar day and polar night is observed. Residents of temperate latitudes are also unable to observe these phenomena, although the change in daylight hours throughout the year is felt much more strongly here than in tropical and especially equatorial latitudes. At the latitude of St. Petersburg, “white nights” are observed in the summer, however, this should not be confused with the polar day. A real polar day is observed at the latitude of Murmansk and Norilsk, when the sun is at its most long days per year (days around June 22) does not go beyond the horizon at all. Unfortunately, in winter you have to “pay for” such round-the-clock illumination during the polar night, when during the longest nights of the year (days around December 22) - the sun does not rise at all - it is night all day long. In the Southern Hemisphere, everything happens the same way, but on opposite dates. The closer to the pole we move, the longer these phenomena will last. As mentioned above, at the Earth’s poles, the polar day and polar night last exactly six months, and the sun rises and sets here only once a year. For the climate of the planet, this arrangement of these zones leads to very strong cooling during the long dark winter; even the sun shining all day long is not able to warm up the air here in the summer, because it rises very low. This leads to the formation of the coldest polar air mass here and, as a result, the coldest regions of the Earth.

- (Greek tropikos, from trope appeal). Imaginary circles parallel to the equator, between which the annual, apparent movement of the sun around the earth takes place, and constituting, as it were, the boundaries of the hot zone; That’s why hot countries are called... Dictionary foreign words Russian language

- (Tropics) parallels located 23°.5 north and south of the equator. The northern tropic is called the Tropic of Cancer, the southern Tropic of Capricorn. Countries located between the tropics are called tropical. Between these parallels there is an annual... ... Marine Dictionary

TROPICS- (from the Greek tropikos turning), a climatic zone at the equator, characterized by a warm and humid climate, very lush vegetation and rich wildlife. There are central tropics with an ever-humid climate, and outer tropics with a more... ... Ecological dictionary

TROPICAL, see TROPICAL SOUTH, TROPICAL NORTH... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

TROPICAL, ov, units. ik, a, husband. 1. Imaginary parallels (in 3 digits), located 23°07 north and south of the equator. Tropic of Cancer (north of the equator). Tropic of Capricorn (south of the equator). 2. pl. The area north and south of the equator between these... ... Dictionary Ozhegova

tropics- — EN tropics The region of the earth s surface lying between two parallels of latitude on the earth, one 23Đ°27 north of the equator and the other 23Đ°27 south of the equator,… … Technical Translator's Guide

tropics- A belt on the earth's surface lying between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn (i.e. between 23°30′N and 23°30′S), where the sun's rays fall vertically for at least two days a day year... Dictionary of Geography

- [from Greek. tropikós (kýklos) turning (circle)], parallels with latitudes 23°07 Northern, or Tropic of Cancer, and Southern, or Tropic of Capricorn. On the day of the summer solstice (June 21-22), the Sun at noon is at its zenith over the Northern Tropic, similarly ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Latitudes located at 23° 28 from the equator to the north (northern T.) and south (southern T.). The tropics are as distant from the equator in latitude as the polar circles are from the poles. On T. the sun is at its zenith at solar noon for the summer solstice of this ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron

Books

• Tropics, Tupikova A. (art.). In the "New Universe" series you will find many wonderful relaxation coloring books. Feel like a real artist and fill your paintings with harmony...
• Tropics. In the "New Universe" series you will find many wonderful relaxation coloring books. Feel like a real artist and fill your paintings with harmony of colors! For primary school children...