Why can incoming solar radiation reach Earth's surface so easily and factors cause Earth to get different amounts of solar radiation in different places?
The incoming radiation comes inform of a short wave that has the ability to pass through all the materials found withing the atmosphere.
Secondly the factors are : Location, atmospheric conditions eg. Cloud cover, aerosol content and ozone layer. Others include Time of the day, Earth/Sun distance, rotation etc.
Solar radiation that is not absorbed or reflected by the atmosphere reaches the surface of the Earth. The Earth absorbs most of the energy reaching its surface, a small fraction is reflected. Atmospheric gas molecules and aerosols deflect solar radiation from its original path, scattering (reflecting) some radiation back into deep space and some toward Earth's surface. Clouds reflect much more incoming solar radiation than they absorb. The solar radiation that reaches the Earth's surface without being diffused is called direct beam solar radiation. The sum of the diffuse and direct solar radiation is called global solar radiation. Atmospheric conditions can reduce direct beam radiation by 10% on clear, dry days and by 100% during thick, cloudy days. The majority of energy from the Sun reaches Earth in the form of visible and infrared radiation. Just over half of this incoming solar energy ultimately reaches the ground. The rest is reflected away by low-level, thick, white clouds or ice or gets absorbed by the atmosphere. Near the equator, the Sun's rays strike the Earth most directly, while at the poles the rays strike at a steep angle. This means that less solar radiation is absorbed per square cm (or inch) of surface area at higher latitudes than at lower latitudes, and that the tropics are warmer than the poles. The amount and intensity of solar radiation that a location or body of water receives depends on a variety of factors. These factors include latitude, season, time of day, cloud cover and altitude. Not all radiation emitted from the sun reaches Earth's surface. Latitude, climate, and weather patterns are major factors that affect insolation—the amount of solar radiation received on a given surface area during a specific amount of time. The Earth is unevenly heated because it is a sphere. Because Earth is a sphere, not all part of the Earth receives the same amount of solar radiation. Because Earth is a sphere, not all part of the Earth receives the same amount of solar radiation. 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
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