Which climate control helps explain the patterns of average daytime temperature globally?

Latitude is a crucial factor in explaining the patterns of average daytime temperature across the globe. This is because latitude refers to the distance of a location north or south of the equator. The amount of solar energy received by a specific location varies with latitude—regions near the equator receive direct sunlight throughout the year, leading to higher temperatures. In contrast, areas closer to the poles receive sunlight at a lower angle, resulting in less solar energy and consequently cooler temperatures.

This relationship helps delineate the climate zones around the planet. For example, tropical regions near the equator tend to have warm or hot temperatures, while polar regions experience much colder conditions. Thus, latitude significantly influences not only the average temperatures but also the seasonal variations that define different climatic regions.

Other factors, such as elevation, atmospheric pressure, and ocean currents, also impact climate but are secondary to latitude's role in shaping global temperature patterns. Elevation can create cooler conditions in mountainous areas, atmospheric pressure can influence weather systems, and ocean currents can affect nearby coastal temperatures, but latitude fundamentally establishes the baseline temperature variations influenced by the sun's distribution of energy.