There are many factors that influence the amount of solar energy an area on Earth receives. The most important factor is the angle of the sun. The sun is always directly overhead at the equator, so the equatorial regions receive the most direct sunlight and the most solar energy.
As you move away from the equator, the sun’s angle becomes more oblique, and the amount of solar energy an area receives decreases. Another important factor is the presence of clouds and other atmospheric particulates. Clouds can block the sun’s rays and reduce the amount of solar energy an area receives.
Finally, the Earth’s surface reflectivity also affects the amount of solar energy an area receives. Darker surfaces absorb more sunlight than lighter surfaces, so areas with darker soils and vegetation tend to receive more solar energy than areas with lighter soils and vegetation.
There are many factors that influence the amount of solar energy an area on Earth receives. The most important factor is the angle of the sun. The angle of the sun affects how direct the sunlight is.
The more direct the sunlight, the more energy it has. Another important factor is the Earth’s atmosphere. The atmosphere can filter out some of the sun’s energy, making it less intense.
Finally, the amount of cloud cover also affects the amount of solar energy an area receives. Cloud cover can block some of the sun’s rays, making the area cooler.
Credit: www.nationalgeographic.org
What Can Affect the Amount of Solar Energy Received?
There are a few things that can affect the amount of solar energy received. One is the time of day and the other is the weather.
The time of day affects the amount of solar energy received because during the day the sun is at a higher angle in the sky.
This means that the sun’s rays are more direct and there is less atmosphere for them to travel through. This results in more solar energy reaching the ground.
The weather can also affect the amount of solar energy received.
Cloud cover can block some of the sun’s rays from reaching the ground, which reduces the amount of solar energy that is available. Additionally, when it is cold outside, the air is more dense and can also block some of the sun’s rays.
What is the Main Factor Responsible for the Variation of the Amount of Solar Energy Received on the Earth According to Latitude?
There are a few factors that contribute to the variation of solar energy received on Earth according to latitude. The most significant factor is the angle at which the sun’s rays strike the Earth’s surface. The closer to the equator, the more direct the angle and the more energy received.
The further away from the equator, the more oblique the angle and the less energy received. The Earth’s atmosphere also absorbs and scatters some of the sun’s rays, which reduces the amount of energy that reaches the surface. Finally, the Earth’s surface reflectivity also varies depending on latitude, with darker surfaces (like forests) absorbing more energy than lighter surfaces (like deserts).
Which Factor is Responsible for the Amount of Solar Energy?
The amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth’s surface is determined by a number of factors, including the Earth’s distance from the Sun, the angle of the Sun’s rays, the amount of atmospheric pollution, and cloud cover.
The Earth’s distance from the Sun is the first and most important factor in determining the amount of solar energy that reaches the surface. The Earth is closest to the Sun in January and furthest from the Sun in July.
This difference in distance affects the amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth by about 3.5%
The angle at which the Sun’s rays hit the Earth’s surface also affects the amount of solar energy that is received. The Sun is highest in the sky during the summer, when the days are longest, and lowest in the sky during the winter, when the days are shortest.
This means that the Sun’s rays hit the Earth’s surface at a more direct angle in the summer than in the winter. As a result, more solar energy is received in the summer than in the winter.
Atmospheric pollution and cloud cover also affect the amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth’s surface.
Pollution particles in the atmosphere can scatter and absorb sunlight, reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches the surface. Cloud cover can also block sunlight from reaching the surface.
All of these factors – the Earth’s distance from the Sun, the angle of the Sun’s rays, atmospheric pollution, and cloud cover – play a role in determining the amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth’s surface.
Solar Radiation
List Three Atmospheric Effects on Solar Radiation
Atmospheric effects play a significant role in determining the amount of solar radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface. The three most important atmospheric effects are scattering, absorption, and reflection.
Scattering occurs when sunlight strikes particles in the atmosphere, such as dust, pollen, or water droplets, and is redirected in many directions.
This process decreases the amount of direct sunlight that reaches the surface and makes the sky appear bright.
Absorption occurs when atmospheric gases, such as carbon dioxide, ozone, and water vapor, absorb solar radiation. This process also decreases the amount of direct sunlight that reaches the surface.
Reflection occurs when sunlight strikes a surface, such as a cloud, and is reflected back into the atmosphere. This process increases the amount of sunlight that is scattered and decreases the amount of direct sunlight that reaches the surface.
All three of these effects play a role in determining the amount of solar radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface.
Scattering and absorption both decrease the amount of direct sunlight, while reflection increases the amount of scattered sunlight. The net effect of these three processes is to reduce the amount of solar radiation that reaches the surface.
Variations in the Amount of Solar Energy That Reaches the Earth Drives Atmospheric Circulation
The amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth’s surface varies throughout the day and from season to season. This variation in solar energy drives the atmospheric circulation, which is the large-scale movement of air in the Earth’s atmosphere. The atmospheric circulation consists of three main cells: the Hadley cell, the Ferrel cell, and the Polar cell.
The Hadley cell is the largest and most important of the three cells. It extends from the equator to about 30° latitude in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The Ferrel cell extends from 30° to 60° latitude in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
The Polar cell extends from 60° to the North and South Poles.
The atmospheric circulation is driven by the differential heating of the Earth’s surface by the sun. The equatorial regions are heated more than the polar regions because they receive more direct sunlight.
The differential heating of the Earth’s surface creates pressure gradients that drive the atmospheric circulation. The atmospheric circulation is also influenced by the Coriolis effect, which is caused by the Earth’s rotation. The Coriolis effect deflects the winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
The atmospheric circulation plays an important role in the Earth’s climate. It transports heat and moisture from the equatorial regions to the polar regions. The atmospheric circulation helps to moderate the Earth’s climate by redistributing heat and moisture around the globe.
Variations in the amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth’s surface can have a significant impact on the atmospheric circulation. Changes in the amount of solar energy can cause the atmospheric circulation to speed up or slow down. The atmospheric circulation can also change direction in response to changes in the amount of solar energy.
These changes can have a profound impact on the Earth’s climate.
What Two Factors Determine the Amount of Incoming Solar Radiation at a Given Location on the Earth?
Incoming solar radiation, or insolation, is determined by two main factors: the angle of the sun and the amount of atmospheric haze. The angle of the sun is determined by the latitude of the location on the earth. The amount of atmospheric haze is determined by the amount of particulate matter, or aerosol, in the atmosphere.
The angle of the sun affects incoming solar radiation because it determines how direct the sunlight is. The more direct the sunlight, the more radiation is received. The latitude of the location on the earth affects the angle of the sun because it determines how close the location is to the sun.
The closer the location is to the sun, the more direct the sunlight.
The amount of atmospheric haze affects incoming solar radiation because it absorbs and scatters sunlight. The more haze there is in the atmosphere, the less radiation is received.
The amount of haze is determined by the amount of particulate matter in the atmosphere. The more particulate matter, the more haze.
Reasons for Variation in Solar Radiation Reaching the Earth
There are several reasons why the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth varies over time. The most significant factor is the Earth’s orbital parameters, which change on a timescale of tens to hundreds of thousands of years. The Earth’s orbit around the sun is not perfectly circular, but rather elliptical, with the sun at one focus.
The Earth’s orbit is also tilted with respect to the sun’s equator by about 23.5 degrees. As a result, the Earth’s distance from the sun varies over the course of a year, and this affects the amount of solar radiation that reaches the Earth. The Earth is closest to the sun (perihelion) in early January and farthest from the sun (aphelion) in early July.
This difference in distance leads to a difference in the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth of about 3%.
The Earth’s axial tilt also affects the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth. The tilt means that the Earth’s North and South Poles point towards and away from the sun at different times of the year.
This leads to the Earth’s seasons, with the North Pole pointing towards the sun during the northern hemisphere’s summer, and the South Pole pointing towards the sun during the southern hemisphere’s summer. The axial tilt also affects the distribution of solar radiation across the Earth’s surface, with the tilt causing more solar radiation to reach the Earth’s surface at high latitudes during the summer than during the winter.
Finally, the Earth’s atmosphere also affects the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface.
The atmosphere absorbs and scatters some of the incoming solar radiation, which means that less solar radiation reaches the surface than if the atmosphere were not present. The amount of atmospheric absorption and scattering also varies over time, depending on factors such as the amount of dust and aerosols in the atmosphere, and the amount of water vapor present. All of these factors leads to the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface varying over time.
Conclusion
The amount of solar energy an area on Earth receives is influenced most by the angle of the sun. The sun is always directly overhead at the equator, so locations closer to the equator receive more direct sunlight and, as a result, more solar energy. The Earth’s tilt also has an effect, as areas closer to the poles receive less direct sunlight during the winter months.
The amount of cloud cover and atmospheric conditions also play a role, as clouds can block out the sun’s rays and prevent solar energy from reaching the Earth’s surface.