What would be the effect on seasons if the tilt of the Earth's axis were 10 degrees rather than 23.5 degrees?

Answer 1

23.5 degrees is the angle by which the Earth's axis departs from perpendicularity

referred to the plane of its solar orbit.

If that angle were zero, then there would be no seasons, and the duration of daylight

and darkness would remain constant throughout the year.

If the angle were 90 degrees, a very interesting cycle would follow:

-- With regard to the length of day and night, the equator would be the equivalent

of today's Arctic and Antarctic Circles.

-- Twice a year ... let's say on March 21 and September 21 ... every place on

Earth would have a 12-hour day and a 12-hour night.

-- From then on, over a small band adjacent to the equator that grew continuously,

the days would grow continually longer on one side of the equator and shorter

on the other side.

-- After 3 months, every place on 1/2 of the Earth would have 24 hours of daylight,

and everyplace on the other half would have 24 hours of dark.

-- Then the daylight would get shorter on the lighted half, and the darkness would

get shorter on the dark half, until after another 3 months, every place on Earth

would have 12 and 12 again.

-- The average daily temperature would roughly follow the portion of every

24 hours during which the sun is up, and that duration would vary from zero

to 24 hours and back again to zero, everywhere on Earth, every year.

-- I think I've visualized that correctly. If not, I hope other contributors will

jump in here and straighten me out.

It's doubtful that life on Earth could survive that cycle.

Answer 2

In that case, there would be much less temperature differences between summer and winter.