Physical Geography
Lecture 02: Time Zones of World
Insolation:
● It refers to the amount of solar energy received on a
surface over a specific period, typically measured in
kilojoules/meter square/per second.
Heat Zones of the Earth:
● When sunlight falls upon the Earth (insolation):
○ At theEquator: Sunlight falls
perpendicular, and high insolation is
found.
○ At theTropics: Sunlight falls around
45 degrees (45°), and moderate
insolation is found.
○ At the Polar Latitudes:Sunlight is
completely oblique, and low insolation
is found. [Therefore, due to different
intensities of sunlight and heat, the vegetation and weather in different regions varies]
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● Torrid Zone (Tropics):
○ Sun rays are overhead and perpendicular to the Tropics. Thus,
concentrated sun rays come over here andgive more energy
to this surface,and the region receives the maximum heat.
○ Due to high insolation,the region is hot,as the temperature
is high. The area is also called theTorrid Zone.
○ Tropics form the limit of overhead rays.
○ Tropical forestsare found in this zone, which are very dense
and green.
● Temperate Zones:
○ The mid-day sun never shines overhead
on any latitude beyond the Tropic of
Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
○ Theangle of the sun’s rays goes on
decreasing towards the poles.
○ They have moderate temperatures due to
mediumoblique and diffused rays.
○ Temperate forests are found in this zone.
● Frigid Zones:
○ Areas lyingbetween the Arctic Circle and the
North Polein the Northern Hemisphere and the
Antarctic Circle and the South Polein the
Southern Hemisphere.
○ This area receivesvery oblique and weak rays.
○ These areas are very cold because the sun does not rise much above the horizon.
○ It hasconiferous-type vegetation.
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Q. Which zone lies between the Arctic Circle and North Pole in the Northern Hemisphere and the
Antarctic Circle and the South Pole in the Southern Hemisphere?
(a) Temperature Zone
(b)Frigid Zone
(c)Torrid Zone
(d)None of these
Q. Consider the following statements:
1. The shape of the earth is the geoid
2. The region that lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn is called the Torrid zone
3. The temperature decreases from quarter to pole because of the shape of the earth.
Which of the above is/are correct?
(a)1 and 2 only
(b)2 and 3 only
(c)1 and 3 only
(d)All of the above
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Local Time:
● A time along a given longitude is known as thelocaltime.
● At different longitudes, times are different due to the rotation of the earth (apparent movement of the
sun).
● As longitude changes, local time also changes,dueto the apparent movement of the sun.
● In a given longitude, the local time remains the same.
Standard Time and Time Zones:
● Time along a longitude represents the average time for a
given region.
● If each town were to keep the time of its meridian, there
would be much difference in local time between one
town and the other.
● Travelers going from one end of the country to the other
would have to keep changing their watches if they
wanted to keep their appointments. This is impractical
and very inconvenient.
● Most countries adopt their standard time from the
central meridianof their countries.
● In larger countries such as Canada, the U.S.A., China, and the U.S.S.R., it would be inconvenient to
have a single time zone. So, these countries havemultiple time zones.
● BothCanada and the U.S.A. have five time zones:
○ Atlantic Time Zones
○ Eastern Time Zones,
○ Central Time Zones,
○ Mountain Time Zones and
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○ Pacific Time Zones.
■ The difference between the local time on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts is nearly 5 hours.
TheU.S.S.R. had 11 time zonesbefore its disintegration.
Indian Standard Time (IST):
● The local times of places that are on different meridians are bound to differ. If we have different time for
every such meridians, it will
○ Create problems of Administration,
○ Mess up in transportation,
○ Problems for travelers,
○ Accident Possibilities and
○ Every town will have its own local time.
● In India, for instance, there will be a difference of about 1 hour and 45 minutes in the local times of
Dwarka in Gujarat and Dibrugarh
in Assam.
● In India, the longitude of 82° 30’
Eis treated as the standard
meridian. So, to avoid such
instances, the local time at this
meridian is taken as the standard
time for the whole country. It is
known as theIndian Standard
Time (IST).
● States through whichIndian Standard Time (IST)passes areUttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.
(Note: Indian Standard Time (Meridian) cuts the Tropic of Cancer at Koriya in Chhattisgarh.)
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Relations between Greenwich Mean Time and Indian Standard Time:
● We witnessed the evening in Chennai and the morning inNew Yorkwhen there was an afternoon in
London.
● When it is around 6.20 PM in Chennai, London time is 12.00 Noon (overhead sun), and at the same time,
New York time is 7.00 AM.
● When you move to the east of the earth, you have to add time
● When you move to the west of the earth, you have to subtract the time
● Normally, we have to add the time while going towards the east fromGreenwich Mean Timeand in the
same way we have to subtract the time while moving toward the west fromGreenwich Mean Time.
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Difference between Local Time and Standard Time:
Local Time Standard Time
● It isvariable. ● It isfixed.
● Local time changes due to theapparent ● It doesnotchange due to theapparent
movement of the sun. movement of the sun.
● It is time along alongitude ● It is a timerepresenting a region.
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