What is the twin planet of Earth and why do tropical regions receive more solar radiation than regions with moderate and cold climates?
The twin planet of Earth is Mars. Tropical regions receive more solar radiation because they are closer to the equator, where the sun's rays are more direct.
In size and mass, the nearest to a 'twin planet of Earth' is Venus, with 91% of Earth's mass and surface gravity. But its rotation is far slower than Earth's, it has no detectable magnetic field, and atmospheric conditions there could hardly be more different! Atmospheric pressure there is approximately equal to that on the Pacific seafloor off Easter Island, the best part of a mile under water. The search for a true 'twin Earth' orbiting another star continues, but there is no positive identification of one so far.
Venus and Earth are sometimes called twins because they're pretty much about the same size. Venus is almost as big as Earth. They also formed in the same inner part of the solar system. Venus is in fact our closest neighbor to Earth. Venus is sometimes called Earth's twin because Venus and Earth are almost the same size, have about the same mass and have a very similar composition. They are also neighboring planets. Mars is a very interesting place. It's like Earth in many ways, but it's also strange and mysterious just like a brother. Maybe one day humans will visit or even live there, but, until then, we can continue to learn about our brother, Mars, a special part of the family of planets in our solar system. Tropical regions receive, per unit area and per unit time, greater amounts of solar radiation than any other ecosystems. This is again due to a spherical Earth, whereby light energy at higher latitudes intercepts the earth's surface at a more oblique angle compared with the tropics. When the sun's rays strike Earth's surface near the equator, the incoming solar radiation is more direct (nearly perpendicular or closer to a 90˚ angle). Therefore, the solar radiation is concentrated over a smaller surface area, causing warmer temperatures. 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. Tropical regions receive, per unit area and per unit time, greater amounts of solar radiation than any other ecosystems. This is again due to a spherical Earth, whereby light energy at higher latitudes intercepts the earth's surface at a more oblique angle compared with the tropics.
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