Question map
Which of the following pairs is not correctly matched? Month Position of Sun
Explanation
The position of the midday sun varies throughout the year due to the Earth's axial tilt. On the June solstice (around June 21), the sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer [c4, t1]. On the December solstice (around December 21), it is overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn [t1, t5]. During the equinoxes in March and September, the midday sun is vertically overhead at the Equator [c2, t2, t6]. The sun's overhead position is strictly limited to the Torrid Zone, between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn [c1, c2]. It never shines overhead at any latitude beyond these limits, including the Arctic Circle [c1, t1]. Therefore, the statement that the midday sun is overhead at the Arctic Circle in September is incorrect, as it is actually overhead at the Equator during that month.
Sources
- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 18: Latitudes and Longitudes > Latitudinal Heat Zones of The Earth > p. 242
- [2] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 2: The Earth's Crust > THE ALTITUDE OF THE MIDDAY SUN > p. 7
- [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 19: The Motions of The Earth and Their Effects > Summer Solstice > p. 252
- [4] https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about/k-12-education/optical-phenomena/what-solstice
- [5] https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/equinox/
- [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_equator
- [7] https://www.weather.gov/cle/seasons