Extreme Temperatures

Temperature Patterns

A distinct pattern of temperature increases as you move away from the poles.

The Sun’s Energy

The Sun radiates energy through heat and light, but only a portion of this radiation reaches Earth, known as insolation, which heats the Earth’s surface.

The Equator has the potential to be the hottest part of the world because the Sun’s rays are strongest there. At the poles, the Sun’s rays strike Earth at an angle, resulting in lower temperatures. However, various other factors also influence temperatures around the world.

Other factors affecting temperatures

• Albedo Effect: This refers to how much a surface reflects or absorbs the Sun’s rays. For example, polar ice has a high albedo, reflecting more heat and making the poles colder. In contrast, oceans and rainforests have a low albedo and absorb more heat.
• Cloud Cover: Clouds reflect the Sun’s rays. Although potential insolation is stronger at the Equator, thick clouds reduce the temperature. Insolation is stronger near the tropics, which are mostly free from cloud cover.
• Winds: Surface winds distribute heat worldwide.
• Ocean Currents: Ocean currents move heat easily due to the fluid nature of water (map B). The UK is much warmer than other countries at the same latitude because it is warmed by the North Atlantic Drift, a warm ocean current originating in the Caribbean.
• Land and Sea: On land, insolation is concentrated on the surface. At sea, it reaches deeper because water is transparent. Although water warms up more slowly than land, it retains heat for longer.
• Altitude: Higher altitudes have lower air pressure, resulting in colder temperatures, which drop by about one °C for every 100 meters of altitude.

Extremes of Hot and Cold

The highest temperature recorded on Earth is 70.7°C, documented in the Lut Desert in Iran. This area is covered in dark lava, which, combined with intense sunshine, leads to very high temperatures as the surface absorbs the heat. No one lives permanently in the Lut Desert due to its extreme heat and dryness, but nomads and tourists pass through. Due to the hazardous climate, visitors must carry enough water and protect their skin from the Sun’s harsh rays.

Antarctica holds the record for the coldest temperatures on Earth, with surface temperatures dropping as low as −89.2°C. The low temperatures are due to the less intense Sun’s rays in polar regions and the fact that 98% of Antarctica is covered with ice, which reflects heat rather than absorbing it. These extreme conditions mean that no one makes a permanent home in Antarctica. Tourists visit to enjoy its beauty, and scientists spend several months studying the unique environment at research stations.