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It's caused by tilt/angle of Earth, correct?

Yes. My second-grade teacher made sure her class knew this. A year or two later I learned that the earth is closer to the sun (at perihelion) when the SOUTHERN Hemisphere is having its summer, and the Northern Hemisphere is having its winter.



which is why the northern hemisphere has a slightly milder climate.


I just checked my atlas - I remembered correctly - the northern hemisphere has significantly larger temperature variation than the southern. It's probably the difference in land versus water areas more than offsetting the tiny effects of solar distance.


Huh, is this actually true? I had been under the impression that the orbital difference was insignificant from a climate standpoint.


there are actually several things at play, eccentricity, precession, and obliquity. the net result is that the north gets milder winters and cooler summers.


the northern hemisphere has significantly larger temperature variation than the southern

the net result is that the north gets milder winters and cooler summers

One of these statements appears to disagree with the other. If I remember correctly what I've read, the proportion of land rather than ocean in each hemisphere plays a major role in climate, as mentioned by the reply saying that the Northern Hemisphere has more variation in temperature.




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