Climatic Controls : Geography

Climatic control is the process of controlling not only temperature but also humidity in commercial buildings. The ability to control these variables helps save money for your business by reducing energy usage while providing your employees with a comfortable environment in which to work. Climatic control has become so popular that many manufacturers have developed products specifically for this purpose.

The climate of any place depends on the following factors:

Latitude: The most important factor is latitude, which is the angular distance north or south of the earth’s equator. The earth is not spherical, rather an oblate spheroid, and thus it has a bulge around the equator. This causes solar radiation to fall on different areas in different amounts.

Altitude: Altitude is considered as one of the important factors in the climate of any place. Its main function in the climate of any place is to absorb and trap the radiation flowing to earth from sun and thus helps to maintain the atmospheric equilibrium

Pressure and wind system: Pressure and wind system of any place influences the climate. Pressure of any place depends on its latitude and altitude. As we know that Earth is a sphere , therefore equator is at right angle to its diameter, when sun rays fall on the equator, solar energy reaches earth directly. This makes equator warmer than other places on earth. That is why there are tropical climate in equator places.

Distance from the sea: The sea exerts a moderating influence on the climate. As the distance from the sea increases, its moderating influence decreases and people experience extreme weather conditions. This condition is known as confinentality i.e. very hot during summers and very cold during winters.

Ocean currents: Ocean currents along with onshore winds affect the climate of the coastal areas. For example, any coastal area with warm or cold currents flowing past it, will be warmed or cooled if the winds are onshore.

Relief features: Relief plays a major role in determining the climate of a place. High mountains act as barriers for cold or hot winds. They may also cause precipitation if they are high enough and lie in the path of rain-bearing winds. Precipitation is any form of moisture which falls to the earth. It includes rain, snow, hail and sleet.