EARTH SCIENCE LAB
Temperature Cycles

Temperature Cycles

For any given location on the surface of the Earth, temperatures will go through a regular cycle on an annual basis. This should be fairly obvious for those of you that have spent part or all of your life in the Midwest. In the summer, the temperatures are warm to hot. In the fall, temperatures cool off and are moderate. In the winter, temperatures are cold. And in spring, temperatures begin to rise. Not all locations on the globe share this annual pattern. Areas in the tropics do not have a true fall or spring season, nor winter, as the temperature never drops too low. Whereas areas like Antarctica experience winter-like conditions year round. Annual temperature cycles vary from one location to another based on latitude, prevailing wind directions, cloud cover, proximity to large bodies of water, ocean currents and elevation.

10-Year Average Monthly Temperature
Location Latitude Longitude Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Manila, Philippines 14°37'N 120°58'E 25.20 25.60 26.50 27.80 28.10 27.90 27.50 27.50 27.30 27.10 26.50 25.60
Salal, Chad 14°48'N 17°12'E 22.90 24.40 29.90 32.80 33.50 32.10 29.10 28.60 29.60 29.70 28.20 25.60
Valdivia, Chile 39°46'S 73°15'W 14.40 14.40 13.20 10.60 8.75 7.71 6.76 7.19 8.13 9.48 11.30 12.90
Rockport, California 39°44'N 123°48'W 6.75 7.66 8.86 10.40 12.30 15.30 18.40 18.70 16.80 13.70 9.25 6.64
La Push, Washington 47°54'N 124°38'W 4.34 4.79 6.84 8.02 9.89 12.30 14.00 14.60 13.40 10.20 7.59 4.28
Mona, Utah 39°48'N 111°51'W -6.68 -3.14 0.74 4.66 10.10 16.70 22.70 21.80 14.50 7.19 -1.54 -6.07
Data courtesy NASA Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy Data Set, http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/sse/sse.cgi

Map showing the location of the data collection sites.

Temperature Range

Calculate the annual temperature range for each location. Report all values to 2 decimal places.

1. Manila, Philippines: °C
2. Salal, Chad: °C
3. Valdivia, Chile: °C
4. Rockport, California: °C
5. La Push, Washington: °C
6. Mona, Utah: °C

Average Temperature

Calculate the average annual temperature for each location. Report all values to 2 decimal places.

7. Manila, Philippines: °C
8. Salal, Chad: °C
9. Valdivia, Chile: °C
10. Rockport, California: °C
11. La Push, Washington: °C
12. Mona, Utah: °C

Temperature graphs.

13. Examine the temperature curves, annual temperature ranges, average annual temperatures and latitudes for Manila, Philippines and Salal, Chad. Describe and explain the differences.

14. Examine the temperature curves, annual temperature ranges, average annual temperatures and latitudes for Valdivia, Chile and Rockport, California. Describe and explain the differences.

15. Examine the temperature curves, annual temperature ranges, average annual temperatures and latitudes for Rockport, California and La Push, Washington. Describe and explain the differences.

16. Examine the temperature curves, annual temperature ranges, average annual temperatures and latitudes for Rockport, California and Mona, Utah. Describe and explain the differences.