Zonality and azonality laws of the geographic envelope
GeographySoils, Biosphere & EnvironmentAges 15–16
Use it with your class: students open it from a link or a QR code, with no account needed.
Next in Soils, Biosphere & Environment
A map of a hypothetical continent with sea to the west: the vertical axis is latitude from the Equator to 80°, and the horizontal axis is distance inland. Drag the survey point on the map or the elevation slider and watch the panel on the right: thermal belt, climate zone, soil group and vegetation always change together. Moving along latitude follows the law of latitudinal zonality; rising in elevation (altitudinal zonality, temperature drops 0.6°C per 100 m) and moving inland (longitudinal zonality, rainfall drops and temperature range increases) follow the azonal laws. Press Play to let the point automatically travel the path of the selected law.
Lesson: The laws of latitudinal zonality and azonality
What it shows
The geographic envelope changes in regular patterns. Latitudinal zonality arises because Earth is a sphere: the angle of the Sun's rays decreases from the Equator to the poles, so thermal belts, climate zones, soil groups and vegetation change together in belts roughly parallel to the lines of latitude. Azonal patterns come from relief and the arrangement of land and sea. Temperature falls about 0.6 °C per 100 m of height, giving altitudinal zones on mountains, while rainfall decreases and the annual temperature range grows with distance from the ocean, giving longitudinal zonality.
How to use
Pick Zonality, Altitude or Continentality to choose the law. For zonality, drag the survey point up or down the map; for altitude, keep the latitude fixed and move the Elevation slider; for continentality, drag the point inland from the coast. Read the Natural components table each time and notice that all four rows change together. Press Play to let the point travel the path of the selected law automatically.
Parameters you can change
- Law under study Latitudinal zonality (by latitude), Azonal – altitudinal zonality, Azonal – longitudinal zonality
- Latitude of the survey point 0–80 °
- Elevation of the survey point 0–4000 m
- Distance inland from the coast 0–3000 km
- Show natural components table
Questions to explore
- By roughly how many degrees does temperature fall when the survey point rises from sea level to 2000 m?
- At 40° latitude, how does the vegetation change as you move 3000 km inland, and why?
- Why do thermal belt, climate zone, soil group and vegetation always change together?
