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4.7 Solar Radiation and Earth's Seasons

2 min readjanuary 1, 2023

Cody Williams

Cody Williams

Cody Williams

Cody Williams

The main source of energy for our earth is from our sun; called , it affects different during any season in specific ways. In these four seasons, the length of a day's light/darkness changes, as does the angle of the Sun in comparison. In the winter, the sun's angle is not favorable, as night lengths are much longer and not as much (heat, sunlight) is received. In summer, the opposite is true.

Latitude also plays an important factor in reception since at the equator, or 0° latitude, hits the surface straight on. Anyone on or near the equator will experience more per unit of area. However, at higher and lower latitudes, the earth experiences curvature, so the same amount of is spread over an area. That is to say, the equator at the horizontal center line of our planet receives more because of its lack of curvature.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Axial_tilt_vs_tropical_and_polar_circles.svg/1280px-Axial_tilt_vs_tropical_and_polar_circles.svg.png

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia

Seasons and Earth’s Tilt

As the Earth orbits the sun, different parts of the Earth receive more or less direct sunlight, which causes the temperature differences also known as seasons. When the Earth tilts towards the sun, the daytimes are longer and the hits the Earth's surface at a more direct angle, causing hotter temperatures. When the Earth tilts away from the sun, nights become longer and temperatures drop.

The transition periods between summer and winter occur when the Earth's tilt changes from pointing toward or away from the sun. These are the , and they occur every spring and fall/autumn. These two days represent the closest margins of the year between the lengths of day and night. Don't confuse this with the ! The summer and winter represent the highest and lowest points of the sun throughout the year, or the longest days and nights. The mark the start of spring/fall where the day and night are approximately even in length.

🎥 Watch: AP Environmental Science - Earths Seasons and Climate

Key Terms to Review (4)

Biomes

: Biomes are large-scale ecological communities characterized by distinct climate conditions, vegetation types, and animal species. They represent different regions across the globe with similar environmental characteristics.

Equinoxes

: Equinoxes are two points in Earth's orbit around the Sun when day and night are approximately equal in length all over the world. They occur twice a year, marking the beginning of spring and autumn.

Solar Radiation

: Solar radiation refers to the energy emitted by the Sun in the form of electromagnetic waves. It includes visible light, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and infrared (IR) radiation.

Solstices

: Solstices are the two points in the year when the Sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon, resulting in the longest and shortest days of the year. The summer solstice occurs around June 21st and marks the beginning of summer, while the winter solstice occurs around December 21st and marks the beginning of winter.

4.7 Solar Radiation and Earth's Seasons

2 min readjanuary 1, 2023

Cody Williams

Cody Williams

Cody Williams

Cody Williams

The main source of energy for our earth is from our sun; called , it affects different during any season in specific ways. In these four seasons, the length of a day's light/darkness changes, as does the angle of the Sun in comparison. In the winter, the sun's angle is not favorable, as night lengths are much longer and not as much (heat, sunlight) is received. In summer, the opposite is true.

Latitude also plays an important factor in reception since at the equator, or 0° latitude, hits the surface straight on. Anyone on or near the equator will experience more per unit of area. However, at higher and lower latitudes, the earth experiences curvature, so the same amount of is spread over an area. That is to say, the equator at the horizontal center line of our planet receives more because of its lack of curvature.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Axial_tilt_vs_tropical_and_polar_circles.svg/1280px-Axial_tilt_vs_tropical_and_polar_circles.svg.png

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia

Seasons and Earth’s Tilt

As the Earth orbits the sun, different parts of the Earth receive more or less direct sunlight, which causes the temperature differences also known as seasons. When the Earth tilts towards the sun, the daytimes are longer and the hits the Earth's surface at a more direct angle, causing hotter temperatures. When the Earth tilts away from the sun, nights become longer and temperatures drop.

The transition periods between summer and winter occur when the Earth's tilt changes from pointing toward or away from the sun. These are the , and they occur every spring and fall/autumn. These two days represent the closest margins of the year between the lengths of day and night. Don't confuse this with the ! The summer and winter represent the highest and lowest points of the sun throughout the year, or the longest days and nights. The mark the start of spring/fall where the day and night are approximately even in length.

🎥 Watch: AP Environmental Science - Earths Seasons and Climate

Key Terms to Review (4)

Biomes

: Biomes are large-scale ecological communities characterized by distinct climate conditions, vegetation types, and animal species. They represent different regions across the globe with similar environmental characteristics.

Equinoxes

: Equinoxes are two points in Earth's orbit around the Sun when day and night are approximately equal in length all over the world. They occur twice a year, marking the beginning of spring and autumn.

Solar Radiation

: Solar radiation refers to the energy emitted by the Sun in the form of electromagnetic waves. It includes visible light, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and infrared (IR) radiation.

Solstices

: Solstices are the two points in the year when the Sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon, resulting in the longest and shortest days of the year. The summer solstice occurs around June 21st and marks the beginning of summer, while the winter solstice occurs around December 21st and marks the beginning of winter.


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© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.