if the tilt of the earth's axis was increased beyond 23.5 degrees, will it cause seasonal variation in the equator to decrease?
if the earth's axis becomes perpendicular to the orbital plane between the earth and the sun will it increase the length of night, increase in the length of year, eliminate seasonal variation or eliminate tides?
The answer to the first question is yes. Although days will remain 12 hours long at the equator, the sun will be lower in the sky all day long at the solstices.
I will be glad to critique your thoughts for the second question.
To answer these questions, let's dive into the science behind Earth's seasons and their relationship to the tilt of its axis.
1. If the tilt of Earth's axis was increased beyond 23.5 degrees, it would indeed have an effect on the seasonal variation near the equator. However, it's important to clarify that the equatorial region experiences relatively minor seasonal variation compared to regions closer to the poles. The equator already receives nearly direct sunlight throughout the year, which mitigates major seasonal changes in temperature.
If the tilt were to increase beyond 23.5 degrees, it would cause a more pronounced change in the angle at which the sunlight hits the equatorial region during different times of the year. Consequently, this could potentially result in slightly more significant seasonal variation near the equator, including variation in temperature and weather patterns. So, increasing the tilt of Earth's axis would tend to increase seasonal variation, even near the equator.
2. If the Earth's axis were to become perpendicular to the orbital plane between Earth and the Sun, it would mean that the tilt of the axis becomes 90 degrees. This scenario would have several consequences:
- Increased length of night: Due to the perpendicular orientation of the axis, one half of the Earth would continuously face away from the Sun, causing an extended period of darkness or night. This would result in a significant increase in the length of the night.
- Increase in the length of the year: Currently, Earth takes approximately 365.25 days to complete one orbit around the Sun. If the axis were perpendicular to the orbital plane, the rotation of Earth on its axis would not affect the length of the year. Therefore, the length of the year would remain the same.
- Elimination of seasonal variation: With the axis perpendicular to the orbital plane, sunlight would be distributed evenly across the entire Earth throughout the year. As a result, there would be no change in the angle of sunlight hitting different regions, leading to the elimination of seasonal variation. Every location on Earth would experience the same amount of sunlight throughout the year, resulting in relatively consistent temperatures and weather patterns.
- Elimination of tides: The tides on Earth are primarily caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun. The alignment of the Earth, Moon, and Sun affects the intensity of tides. If the Earth's axis were perpendicular to the orbital plane, it would have no direct impact on tides. Tides would still occur due to the gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun, although their intensity may be influenced by other factors.
In summary, if the tilt of Earth's axis is increased beyond 23.5 degrees, it would generally increase seasonal variation, even at the equator. If the Earth's axis becomes perpendicular to the orbital plane, it would result in longer nights, no seasonal variation, and the length of the year remaining the same. It would not directly eliminate tides, but their intensity may be influenced by other factors.