GEOG 102 Mod 2 Lab Pt A (1)
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Oregon State University, Corvallis *
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Course
102
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Geography
Date
Apr 3, 2024
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Ruby McNamee
GEOG 102 Module 2 Lab:
Seasonal Changes
Part A (40 pts)
Procedure I: Tracking Daily Insolation (12 pts)
Figure 1 (on page 4 of this lab document) shows daily insolation as a function of time of year and latitude. Refer to the figure to answer the questions below. Make sure to use the correct units in your answers, e.g. W/m
2
, and be sure to answer all parts of each question!
1.
How much insolation is received at 0° (equator) on the summer solstice? On the winter solstice? How much does insolation vary from summer to winter at this location? (1.5 pts)
-
400 w/m^2 of insolation at the equator on the summer solstice
-
About 420 w/m^2 of insolation at the equator on the winter solstice
-
Insolation varies about 20 w/m^2 from summer to winter at this location
2.
How much insolation is received at 0° (equator) on the vernal equinox? On the autumnal equinox? How much does insolation vary between the two equinoxes? (1.5
pts)
-
410 w/m^2 at the equator on the vernal equinox
-
410 w/m^2 at the equator on the autumnal equinox
-
Insolation varies 0 w/m^2 between equinoxes at this location
3.
Compare your answers to Questions 1 and 2. Are the differences between the solstices and equinoxes as you expected? Why or why not? (2 pts)
-
The observed differences make sense because the subsolar point is at its furthest points north and south during the solstices resulting in some change in insolation, and closest to the equator on the equinoxes, resulting in no change in insolation.
4.
How much insolation is received at 40°N on the summer solstice? On the winter solstice? How much does insolation vary from summer to winter at this location? (1.5
pts)
-
475 w/m^2 at 40º north on the summer solstice
-
About 150 w/m^2 at 40º north on the winter solstice -
At 40º north, insolation varies about 325 w/m^2 from summer to winter 5.
How much insolation is received at 60°N on the summer solstice? On the winter solstice? How much does insolation vary from summer to winter at this location? (1.5
pts)
-
About 490 w/m^2 at 60º north on the summer solstice
-
About 25 w/m^2 at 60º north on the winter solstice
-
At 60º north, insolation varies about 465 w/m^2 between solstices 6.
How much insolation is received at 90°N on the summer solstice (provide your best estimate)? On the winter solstice? How much does insolation vary from summer to winter at this location? (1.5 pts)
-
About 525 w/m^2 at 90º north on the summer solstice
-
0 w/m^2 at 90º north on the winter solstice
-
Insolation varies about 525 w/m^2 at 90º north between solstices
7.
Find and calculate the following information (2 pts):
a.
Where do you live and what is the latitude there? (Google it if you don’t know).
-
Corvallis, Oregon. The latitude is 44.564568 (n)
b.
Using the same figure, how much insolation is received at your location on the summer solstice?
-
About 480 w/m^2 at 44º north on summer solstice
c.
On the winter solstice?
-
About 110 w/m^2 at 44º north on winter solstice
d.
How much does insolation vary from summer to winter at your location?
-
Insolation varies about 370 w/m^2 at 44º north between solstices 8. How does the difference between summer and winter insolation vary with latitude? Which latitudes have the most consistent insolation? (1.5 pts)
-
The difference between summer and winter insolation increases as you move
farther from the equators towards the poles. -
Insolation is more stable between solstices at latitudes closer to the equator.
Procedure II: Tracking Seasonal Variations (12 pts)
Table 1 (on page 5 of this lab) shows the hours of daylight at different latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere.
9. Calculate day length for 30°N, 40°N, 50°N, 60°N for the winter and summer solstice. Enter the values as numbers rounded to two decimal places (e.g., you’d write a day length of 5 hours and 32 minutes as 5.53) in Table 1. Show your work here for partial credit in the case of incorrect answers. (4 pts)
-
Difference between noon and sunrise or sunset=daylight
-
30º north summer solstice day length: 13 hrs 56 min=
13.93
, winter solstice day length: 10 hrs 4 min=
10.07
-
Summer: 6 hrs 58 min after noon+6 hrs 58 min before noon= 13 hrs 56 min day light
-
Winter: 5 hrs 2 min after noon+5 hrs 2 min before noon= 10 hrs 4 min daylight
-
40º north summer solstice day length:14 hr 52 min=
14.87
, winter solstice day length: 9 hrs 8 min=
9.13
-
Summer: 7 hrs 26 min after noon+7 hrs 26 min before noon= 14 hr 52 min day light
-
Winter: 4 hrs 34 min after noon+4 hrs 34 min before noon= 9 hrs 8 min
day light
-
50º north summer solstice day length: 16 hrs 10 min=
16.17
, winter solstice day length: 7 hrs 50 min=
7.83
-
Summer: 8 hrs 5 min after noon+8 hrs 5 min before noon= 16 hrs 10 min daylight
-
Winter: 3 hrs 55 min after noon+3 hrs 55 min before noon= 7 hrs 50 min daylight
-
60º north summer solstice day length: 18 hrs 30 min=
18.5
, winter solstice day
length: 5 hrs 30 min=
5.5
-
Summer: 9 hrs 15 min after noon+9 hrs 15 min before noon= 18 hrs 30 min daylight
-
Winter: 2 hr 45 min after noon+2 hr 45 min before noon=5 hr 30 min daylight
10. What is the average hourly insolation at the Equator on the summer solstice? To find this value, divide the daily insolation value (Question 1) by the number of daylight hours in the day (refer to Table 1 to find this value). (1.5 pts)
-
Avg hourly insolation at 0º on summer solstice: 400 w/m^2 / 12 hrs = 33.33 w/m^2
11. What is the average hourly insolation at 40°N on the summer solstice? On the winter solstice? (2 pts)
-
Avg hourly insolation at 40º N on summer solstice: 475 w/m^2 / 14.87 = 31.94
w/m^2
-
Avg hourly insolation at 40º N on winter solstice: 150 w/m^2 / 9.13 = 16.43 w/m^2
12. What is the average hourly insolation at 90°N on the summer solstice? (1.5 pts)
-
Avg hourly insolation at 90º on summer solstice: 525 w/m^2 / 24 = 21.88 w/m^2
13. Which of these locations (0°, 40°N, and 90°N from Questions 8-10) receives the most intense insolation, i.e., the most Watts per hour per square meter? What is this value and when does it occur? (3 pts)
-
During the summer solstice, the equator receives the most intense insolation at about 33.33 w/m^2 per hour.
Analyze & Conclude (16 pts)
14. Figure 1 shows changes in insolation related to the angle of the Sun and day length. However, the amount of insolation over the poles varies. How does the maximum insolation at the North Pole’s summer solstice compare to the maximum insolation at the South Pole’s
summer solstice? What other Earth–Sun relationship could explain this difference? (4 pts)
-
The difference between the maximum insolation at the North Pole’s summer solstice and that of the South Pole’s is explained because at this time, the North Pole is angled toward the sun and the South Pole is in turn angled away from it. This results in the North Pole and entire Northern Hemisphere receiving much higher insolation than the Southern.
15. Do you think that latitude or day length is more important to the amount of insolation received at a location? Compare the North Pole with 40°N and with the equator in your analysis and explain your answer. (4 pts)
-
I think that latitude is more influential than day length to the amount of insolation received at a given location because you can physically see how the angle of the sun hits earth at this location, and therefore how it will affect the insolation value. Ity is a clearer and more direct impact. The North Pole and 40º North can be used as an
example of this, because you can find these spots on a globe, and visualize how the sun's angle changes with latitude and with Earth’s movements. 16. Your company plans to build three solar power arrays at 30°N, 40°N, and 50°N. What is one main way in which the design of each
array (be specific) would need to differ, assuming
each is intended to generate the same amount of power? Explain your answer. (Hint – think
of sun angles) (4 pts)
-
If each array is intended to generate the same amount of power but at different latitudes, I think the arrays would have to differ in size depending on the location. Insolation is generally much higher towards the equators, so the arrays at 30º N would be receiving more insolation than those at 50º N. Therefore, the one at 30º N could be the smallest, the one at 40º N would be bigger than the one at 30º N and smaller than the one at 50º N, and the one at 50º N would have to be the biggest.
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This way, each array would be able to receive the same amount of insolation despite
the different sun angles at the different latitudes.
17. Your company is considering building solar power arrays near the Arctic Circle in Alaska
and Canada. What are some advantages and disadvantages of using these locations for solar power? (4 pts)
-
Advantages: Because of the Arctic Circle region’s 24 hours of daylight during the summer solstice, having solar power arrays would be super beneficial and efficient during this time because of the duration and quantity of sunlight. -
Disadvantages: During the winter months in this area, the solar power arrays would receive zero sunlight because now the area experiences 24 hours of darkness. During the winter months, they would lose so much in the dark.
-
If there were a way to make up for this loss, then the arrays being inactive for so long could include cost-saving on diesel and electricity and there could be environmental benefits.
Figure 1: Daily insolation received at the top of the atmosphere
Table 1: Day length––the time between sunrise and sunset––at selected latitudes for the Northern Hemisphere
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