WAEC Geography 2023 Theory — Question 9

Model answer

(a) The four seasons of the year: Spring, Summer, Autumn (Fall) and Winter. (b) Differences between standard time and local time: (i) Standard time is the same uniform time observed throughout a country or time zone, while local time varies from place to place depending on longitude. (ii) Standard time is fixed by law/government for a whole region, while local time is based strictly on the actual position of the sun at a specific meridian. (c) Formation of a solar eclipse: A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly between the earth and the sun, so that the moon's shadow falls on the earth's surface, blocking out all or part of the sun's light from being seen at that location. This can only happen during a new moon, when the sun, moon and earth are aligned (in that order) in a straight line. The region on earth that falls within the moon's full shadow (umbra) experiences a total eclipse, while surrounding areas within the partial shadow (penumbra) experience a partial eclipse.