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As it is now, Perihelion (Earth's closest position to the sun in its orbit) occurs when the Northern Hemisphere is in winter and the Southern Hemisphere in summer, and Aphelion (Earth's farthest position from the sun in its orbit) occurs when the Northern Hemisphere is in summer and the Southern Hemisphere is in winter.
Just curious how, if at all, the climate might be different if the two were switched?
I Think for one that miami would switch from being a tropical climate to being a subtropical climate because of the cooler winters. also i think that in general the temperate climate band would expand with polar climates retreating in the northern hemisphere
I Think for one that miami would switch from being a tropical climate to being a subtropical climate because of the cooler winters. also i think that in general the temperate climate band would expand with polar climates retreating in the northern hemisphere
This reminds of a very misinformed Facebook post in which someone claimed God was amazing because if Earth was three feet further from the Sun life couldn't exist. I don't even know how to respond to that but the fact is the distance between Earth and Sun varies so little it has no effect on climate.
This reminds of a very misinformed Facebook post in which someone claimed God was amazing because if Earth was three feet further from the Sun life couldn't exist. I don't even know how to respond to that but the fact is the distance between Earth and Sun varies so little it has no effect on climate.
That's kinda funny. But I'm going to disagree with the no difference. The difference between perihelion and apehelion is a 5% increase in the strength of the sun. Of course, the increase in sun strength due to the earth's tilt (from both sun angle and day length — both make a big difference) is many times larger. But 5% more in the middle of summer should do something to the climate. More intense midsummer days, perhaps with greater solar heating a bit stronger of a convective cycle and less stratus clouds. But being closer to the sun makes the earth move faster, so summer is more intense but shorter. The total energy absorbed by changing perihelion and aphelion year around is exactly the same. Since the difference between summer and winter is strongest at high latitudes, the effect would be more obvious. I think in most of the world, it would have little effect. But at high latitudes where summers are cold and snow lingers having more intense sunlight might help melt snow and ice. Might give an extra push to raise a snow line and get rid of Arctic summer sea ice. Nothing that dramatic, but a noticeable shift in high latitude temperature cycles, with a slightly increased temperature range and a slightly different precipitation cycle. Here's a graph I made of the difference for a location at 65°
No, because at 65° sunlight is almost zero on the winter solstice. The sun just rises above the horizon midday. A small change in the distance from the sun won't make much difference. 5% of zero is zero.
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