Does the equator receive 10 times more incoming solar radiation and why do the poles receive less solar radiation than the equator?
Yes, the equator receives about 10 times more incoming solar radiation than the poles. This is because the Earth is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees relative to its orbit around the Sun. As a result, the Sun's rays hit the equator at a more direct angle than they do the poles. This means that the equator receives more concentrated sunlight, which heats the surface more.
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Earth's tilt
The poles, on the other hand, receive the Sun's rays at a more oblique angle. This means that the sunlight is spread out over a larger area, which makes it less intense. As a result, the poles are much colder than the equator.
In addition, the Earth's atmosphere also plays a role in determining how much solar radiation reaches the surface. The atmosphere is thicker at the equator than it is at the poles. This means that the atmosphere absorbs more sunlight at the equator, which also helps to keep the poles cooler.
So, the combination of the Earth's tilt and the atmosphere's thickness is why the equator receives much more solar radiation than the poles.
Yes, the equator does receive about 10 times more incoming solar radiation than the poles. This is because the sun's rays are more concentrated at the equator, where they are perpendicular to the Earth's surface. At the poles, the sun's rays are spread out over a larger area, so they are less intense. The total amount of insolation received at the equator is roughly about 10 times of that received at the poles. Infrared rays constitute roughly two-thirds of insolation. Infrared waves are largely absorbed by water vapour that is concentrated in the lower atmosphere. Because the Earth is a sphere, the surface gets much more intense sunlight (heat) at the equator than at the poles. During the equinox (the time of year when the amount of daylight and nighttime are approximately equal), the Sun passes directly overhead at noon on the equator. The equator receives the most direct sunlight because sunlight arrives at a perpendicular (90 degree) angle to the Earth. Sunlight rays are concentrated on smaller surface areas, causing warmer temperatures and climates. As incoming rays move further away from the equator, solar intensity decreases. At the poles, the ice, snow and cloud cover create a much higher albedo, and the poles reflect more and absorb less solar energy than the lower latitudes. Through all of these mechanisms, the poles absorb much less solar radiation than equatorial regions, which is why the poles are cold and the tropics are very warm. The more slanted the sun's rays are, the longer they travel through the atmosphere, becoming more scattered and diffuse. Because the Earth is round, the frigid Polar Regions never get a high sun, and because of the tilted axis of rotation, these areas receive no sun at all during part of the year.
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