It is amazing that a single angle can have such great impacts on life on Earth. Imagine if there were an alteration to the axial tilt: If the tilt becomes 0°, the Northern and Southern hemisphere will receive exactly the same amount of radiation throughout the year and there will not be seasons. People living at every latitude will experience roughly the same average temperature throughout the year and there will be equal hours of day and night everyday. Living organisms- trees and animals you see today will not be the same. Also, this would not have allowed polar ice caps to form.
However, the tilt of the Earth is not always the same. The effect of the Milankovitch cycle changes the tilt of the earth in a periodic manner from 22.1° to 24.5° for every 41,000 years. According to our model, at 22.1°, the seasons will be less distinct due to less variation in the solar radiation received. The Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn will be approximately 22.1° N and 22.1° S respectively. This might result in climate changes.
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Dr Linda Sellou for her patient guidance and SPS for providing the opportunity for this enriching learning process.