Earth’s Rotation , Revolution

and related phenomena

Lec 4
Physical Geography
Earth experiences two key movements in space:

•Rotation

•Revolution

•These movements play a crucial role in shaping the environment and

phenomena on Earth.
 Earth’s Rotation

•Rotation refers to Earth spinning around its axis.

•Duration: 1 complete rotation = 24 hours (1 day).

•Effect: Causes the cycle of day and night.

•Earth rotates from west to east, making the Sun appear to rise in the
east and set in the west.
Earth’s Axis

• Earth’s axis is an imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the
South Pole.
• The axis is tilted at an angle of 23.5° relative to the plane of Earth’s
orbit.
• Impact: The tilt leads to varying sunlight intensity, which is key to the
changing seasons.
Environmental Effects of
Rotation
• The Imposition of Day/Night rhythm
• The redirection of the flow paths of both air and water that flows over
the earth's surface.
• Flows in the Northern Hemisphere - Right
• Flows in the Southern Hemisphere - Left
• Rise and fall in Tidal Waves over the oceans.
Day and Night Cycle

• Rotation causes day and night:

• Day: The side facing the Sun.
• Night: The side facing away from the Sun.
• Earth rotates at about 1,670 km/h at the equator.
• Why 24 hours? The Earth takes this long to make one complete turn
on its axis.
The Earth's rotation: Time zones
• Thanks to the Earth's rotation we divide the Earth into 24 time zones that correspond
to the 24 hours of a day.
• As the Earth is a geoid of 360°, each time zone is 15° across. There is one hour in a
time zone.
• Standard point of reference is the Prime or Greenwich Meridian. This is Meridian at
0°.
• As we go east crossing time zones, we set the clock forward by one hour.
• As we go west crossing time zones, we set the clock back by one hour.
• The Meridian opposite the Prime Meridian is the Meridian at 180° which we call
International Date Line because we put the date forward or back by a day when we
cross it.
• All the places located on the same time zone have the same time.
What is international date line ?
• The international date line, defines the boundary between calendar
dates. The international date line, established in 1884, passes through the
mid-Pacific Ocean and roughly follows a 180 degrees longitude north-
south line on the Earth.
• Some countries defy time zone logicFor example, North America, Africa,
Russia and Australia split their land mass up into different time zones (the
East Coast of the US is three hours ahead the West Coast), but China,
India and Argentina don't.
Earth’s Revolution

• Revolution refers to Earth’s orbit around the Sun.

• Duration: 1 complete revolution = 365.25 days (1 year).
• Earth’s orbit is elliptical (slightly oval-shaped), but nearly circular.
• The Earth's Revolution causes:
■ Years and leap years
■ Seasons and a changing length of day and night.
The Earth's Revolution: Years

• It takes 365 days and 6 hours for the Earth to complete a full
revolution around the Sun.
• So we have established the length of a year in 365 days.
• Every four years we sum up the extra 6 hours obtaining an extra day.
This is called a leap year as it has a length of 366 days.
Earth’s Orbit

• Earth orbits the Sun at an average distance of 150 million kilometers

(93 million miles).
• The orbit follows an elliptical path, but the difference in distance
between the closest point (perihelion) and the farthest point
(aphelion) is minimal.
Seasonal Changes

• Seasons are caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis during its revolution
around the Sun.
• As Earth orbits, different parts of the planet receive varying amounts
of sunlight throughout the year.
• Summer occurs in the hemisphere tilted towards the Sun, while
winter occurs in the hemisphere tilted away.
The Earth's Revolution:
The Seasons

• Depending on the position of the

Earth in its orbit around the Sun
some parts of its surface are closest
to the star and some are farthest.
• The Sun's rays reach intertropical
regions at a direct angle while they
reach the poles at much smaller
angle. Because of that, different
parts of the Earth's surface receive
varying amounts of solar energy.
• This causes the Seasons: Spring,
Summer, Autumn, Winter.
The Equinoxes and Solstices
• The word "equinox" comes from the Latin words æquus (equal) and nox (night), meaning
"equal nighttime".
• On Equinox , days and nights are of equal length

• Spring equinox takes place on the 21st March and Autumn equinox on the 23rd September
• The seasons change four times a year, and each change is marked by a solstice or
equinox. The dates of these events are based on the relationship between the Earth and the
Sun, including the tilt of the Earth's axis.
• Solstice is the time or date (twice each year) at which the sun reaches its maximum or
minimum declination, marked by the longest and shortest days (about 21 June and 22
December).

Solstices:
• Summer Solstice: Around June 21st, the Northern Hemisphere has the longest day.
• Winter Solstice: Around December 21st, the Northern Hemisphere has the shortest day.
• When the Earth is at its
farthest point in its orbit from
the Sun we call it a Solstice. It
is when the Sun's rays are
vertical at the tropics.
• Summer solstice takes place
on the 21st of June. The Sun's
rays are vertical at the Tropic
of Cancer.
• Winter solstice takes place on
the 21st of December. The
Sun's rays are vertical at the
Tropic of Capricorn.
Effects of Earth's Tilt

• The 23.5° tilt of Earth's axis creates differences in the angle at which
sunlight hits different regions.
• The Earth's tilt is responsible for the seasons. When the Earth's axis
points towards the sun, it's summer in that hemisphere, and when it
points away, it's winter.

• This variation leads to:

• Changing lengths of days across seasons.
• Temperature fluctuations (warmer summers, colder winters).
Earths inclination and the
seasons
Importance of the tilt of the
Earth's axis: Climate Zones
• Depending on the position of the Earth in its orbit around the Sun and
the tilt of the Earth, some parts of its surface are closest to the star
and some are farthest.
• Some of them receive the Sun's rays at a direct angle and others at a
much smaller angle.
• Because of that, different parts of the Earth's surface receive varying
amounts of solar energy
Tropics
• The Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn divide the Earth into
separate zones, with the area between the two known as the
tropics. The tropics are generally warmer than other parts of the
Earth, with tropical temperatures remaining warm or hot throughout
the year. The tropics are home to many rainforests, and also produce
many valuable plants and products, such as bananas, coffee, cocoa,
tea, rubber, spices, nuts, and tropical wood.
The Tropic of Cancer and the
Tropic of Capricorn are named
after the constellations in which the
sun was located at the time of their
naming, which was about 2,000
years ago
• The tropics are located
between the Tropic of Cancer
and the Tropic of Capricorn.
They receive the greatest
amount of solar energy
through the year which
causes:
• High temperatures throughout
the year
• Little difference between the
seasons.
Temperate Zones
• The Temperate Zones are
located between the tropics
and the Polar Circles. So we
have 2 temperate zones.
• The number of daylight
hours gradually falls
between the summer and
the winter solstices.
• These zones have 4 seasons:
spring, summer, autumn and
winter
Polar Regions
• The Polar Regions are located
between the Polar circles and the
Poles. They receive little solar energy
so temperatures are always very low.
There are big differences between the
length of day and night. The Sun is
visible in the sky only for six months
of the year in each pole, in the
summer.
• Anyway, even then the Sun provides
very little heat because its rays hit the
polar regions at a low angle.
Clim
ate
Zone
s
The Coriolis Effect

• This force causes moving objects on the surface of the Earth to be

deflected to the right (with respect to the direction of travel) in the
Northern Hemisphere is called coriolis effect
• Earth’s rotation influences weather patterns and ocean currents.
• Coriolis Effect: The deflection of moving objects, such as wind or
ocean currents, caused by Earth’s rotation.
• In the Northern Hemisphere, moving objects are deflected to the right.
• In the Southern Hemisphere, they are deflected to the left.
Tides and the Moon's Influence

• Earth’s rotation and the Moon’s gravitational pull cause tides.

• High and low tides occur in a regular cycle, about twice a day.
• The Moon’s gravity pulls on Earth’s oceans, creating a bulge in the
water.
Summary

• Rotation causes day and night, and is responsible for the Coriolis
Effect and tidal phenomena.
• Revolution leads to the cycle of the seasons and variation in sunlight
throughout the year.
• Earth’s movements—rotation and revolution—are fundamental to life
on Earth, influencing weather patterns, climates, and the biological
rhythms of organisms.
Eclipse - Solar Eclipse and Lunar
Eclipse
• The earth, along with the other planets, revolves around the sun in its
orbit. In turn, the moon revolves around the earth in the moon’s
orbit.
• There comes a time when the three heavenly bodies get aligned in
the same straight line. This is when an eclipse occurs.
• It is defined as an astronomical phenomenon that occurs when one
spatial object comes within the shadow of another spatial object.
• This obstructs the observer from seeing one of them in space.
• On earth, we witness two types of eclipses: solar and lunar.
Solar Eclipse
• Also known as the eclipse of the sun, it occurs when the moon comes in
between the sun and the earth. As a result, the moon blocks the light of the
sun from reaching the earth’s surface and casts a shadow on it. This occurs in
a new moon phase.
• Depending on the distance of the moon from the earth during the
event, different types of solar concealment can be observed. They can
be categorized as:

• Partial: When the moon does not align completely with the sun, and
so only a portion of the sunlight is blocked from reaching the earth.
• Annular: When the moon covers the sun, but the sun can be seen
around the edges of the moon, giving an impression that the sun is a
bright ring surrounding the dark disc of the moon.
• Total: When the sun is completely covered by the moon. The sky
becomes so dark that it appears to be night. Only a small area of the
earth can witness it.
Lunar Eclipse
• Also known as the eclipse of the moon, it occurs when the earth comes in
between the sun and the moon.
• As a result, the earth blocks the light of the sun from reaching the moon’s
surface and casts its shadow on the moon.
• It occurs on a full moon day.
• Depending on how the sun, the moon, and the earth line up, lunar
eclipse too can be categorized as:

• Partial: When only a part of the moon moves into the shadow of the
earth.
• Total: When the earth passes directly in front of the moon and casts
its shadow on the full moon.
• It is advised that one should not look at the sun directly during the
solar eclipse as it can permanently damage the eyes. However, it is
safe to view the lunar eclipse directly.