What happens to the sunlight that does not reach Earth's surface and which parts of the Earth will absorb the most radiation?
Sunlight that does not reach Earth's surface is either reflected back into space or absorbed by the atmosphere.
Reflection
Some sunlight is reflected back into space by clouds, snow, ice, and other reflective surfaces on Earth. The amount of sunlight that is reflected depends on the type and amount of cloud cover, the albedo of the surface (its ability to reflect light), and the angle of the sun's rays.
Absorption
The rest of the sunlight that does not reach Earth's surface is absorbed by the atmosphere. This absorption is caused by gases and particles in the atmosphere, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, and aerosols. The amount of sunlight that is absorbed depends on the wavelength of the light and the composition of the atmosphere.
Which parts of the Earth absorb the most radiation?
The parts of the Earth that absorb the most radiation are those with the lowest albedo, such as the oceans and dark forests. These surfaces absorb more sunlight because they are less reflective. Areas with high cloud cover will also absorb more radiation, as clouds reflect less sunlight than clear skies.
In addition to the Earth's surface, the atmosphere also absorbs radiation. The ozone layer, which is a layer of ozone gas in the stratosphere, absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This is important because UV radiation can damage DNA and cause skin cancer.
The importance of sunlight
Sunlight is essential for life on Earth. It provides the energy that plants need to photosynthesize, and it also drives the water cycle and weather patterns. Sunlight also plays an important role in human health, as it helps to produce vitamin D in the body.
However, too much sunlight can also be harmful. UV radiation can cause sunburn, skin cancer, and cataracts. It is important to protect yourself from the sun by wearing sunscreen, protective clothing, and a hat when outdoors.
According to ugc.berkeley.edu., sunlight that does not reach the Earth’s surface is mostly reflected. This reflection occurs when incoming solar radiation bounces back from an object or surface that strikes in the atmosphere, on land, or water and is not transformed into heat. Some of the sunlight is also absorbed by air pollution, which disperses sunlight and reduces the amount that reaches the Earth’s surface.
As for which parts of the Earth absorb the most radiation, more solar radiation is received and absorbed near the equator than at the poles. This is because, near the equator, the Sun’s rays strike the Earth most directly, while at the poles, the rays strike at a steep angle. This uneven heating is due to the spherical shape of the Earth. The absorption of sunlight causes the molecules of the object or surface it strikes to vibrate faster, increasing its temperature. The Earth then re-radiates this energy as longwave, infrared radiation, also known as heat.
I believe that total approximately 70% of incoming radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and the Earth's surface while around 30% is reflected back to space and does not heat the surface. Without the sun's heat, the water would be frozen. As water evaporates, it absorbs heat from the surrounding air, causing the water to become warmer. The warm water then rises and is replaced by cooler water from the depths of the ocean, completing the cycle. Not all radiation emitted from the sun reaches Earth's surface. Much of it is absorbed, reflected or scattered in the atmosphere. At the surface, solar energy can be absorbed directly from the sun, called direct radiation, or from light that has been scattered as it enters the atmosphere, called indirect radiation. UVC rays do not reach the Earth's surface because they are completely absorbed by the atmosphere. Harmful effects from UVC rays are minimal. The axis is tilted and points to the North Star no matter where Earth is in its orbit. Because of this, the distribution of the Sun's rays changes. In June, in the northern hemisphere summer, the Sun's rays reach the North Pole and beyond, enveloping the Arctic circle. t's not possible to give exact numbers, but nearly 30% of the Sun's incoming energy is reflected by the atmosphere and the surface. Another 23% is absorbed by the atmosphere. Hence only about 47% reaches Earth's surface and is absorbed by it. Between earth and sun, we have atmosphere cover surrounding the earth upto 100 km from earth's surface. After that we have only vacuum between atmosphere and sun. Hence heat from sun cannot reach earth by conduction and convection. More solar radiation is received and absorbed near the equator than at the poles. Near the equator, the Sun's rays strike the Earth most directly, while at the poles the rays strike at a steep angle. Dark-colored surfaces such as gravel and asphalt absorb most of the radiation and have low albedo values closer to 0. This also explains why darker-colored surfaces have higher temperatures. The atmosphere and the surface of the Earth together absorb 71 percent of incoming solar radiation, so together; they must radiate that much energy back to space for the planet's average temperature to remain stable. In general, the absorbed solar radiation exceeds the outgoing long wave radiation in the tropical and subtropical regions, resulting in a net radioactive heating of the planet, while in the middle to polar latitudes there is a net cooling.
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