What are the influences that climate has on earth?

Question

Specifically in North America and why the Tropic of Cancer & the Tropic of Capricorn are important to the earth's Climate.

Answer 1

The great ocean conveyor belt heavily influence our climate. The waters of the oceans have to move and carry on. If not our Earths climate would eventually freeze if the belt slowed down and stopped.

Answer 2

Climate is more the result of influences - it's really just the 'typical' weather over a period of time - a set of observations.

There's things that influence climate and there are many different types of climate. Rather than go into detail I'll refer you to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate - the links at the bottom of the page will provide a lot more info.

The tropics of Cancer and Capricorn are imaginary lines that circle the earth at almost 23.5 degrees, respectively north and south of the equator. There are two similar lines you'll have heard of - the Arctic and Antarctic circles, these are also imaginery lines circling the earth, respectively at almost 23.5 degrees below the north and south poles. The significance of 23.5 degrees (more accuratley 23 degrees 27 minutes) is that this is the angle the earth is tilted at.

This tilt and the way the earth moves around the sun means that at some point in the year everywhere within the Arctic and Antarctic circles experiences perpetual day and at other times perpetual night. On a daily basis the sun always 'peaks' overhead at a point between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

The lines themselves don't have any bearing on the weather but the area of earth that lies between the tropics of C and C is described as having a tropical climate. It's nothing more than a convenient tag, there's no sudden change in climate if you cross one of the lines, no more so than if you crossed the border from the US to Canada - whilst the US as a whole has a different climate to that of Canada it doesn't change at the border - same with areas inside and outside the tropical region.