Which factors affect the amount of solar radiation an area receives?

Which factors affect the amount of solar radiation an area receives?

The intensity of the solar radiation at a given location depends on your latitude, terrain, season, time of day, and atmospheric conditions. For example, clouds, dust, and water vapor all affect the amount of radiation that reaches the surface at any given location.

Why do tropical areas receive the most solar radiation?

Different parts of Earth’s surface receive different amounts of sunlight. The sun’s rays strike Earth’s surface most directly at the equator. This focuses the rays on a small area. The lowest latitudes get the most energy from the sun.

Why is solar radiation different at different latitudes?

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). At higher latitudes, the angle of solar radiation is smaller, causing energy to be spread over a larger area of the surface and cooler temperatures.

Where is solar radiation per unit area the greatest?

However, the solar irradiance, which is the amount of radiant energy received from the sun per unit area per unit time, is greatest at visible wavelengths (300-800 nm) and peaks in the blue-green part of the spectrum1.

Which factors in the atmosphere have the greatest effect on amount of radiation received from the sun?

Ozone is an important part of our atmosphere and high levels of ozone absorb higher levels of UV. Since the discovery of the hole in the ozone over the Antarctic in the early 1980s ozone levels have been observed to decline worldwide, resulting in increased levels of solar UV reaching the earth’s surface.

Which factor determines the amount of solar radiation received from sun?

The angle of the sun determines solar irradiance. The greater the angle, the lower the solar intensity. The lower the angle of the sun, the larger amount of ozone the light has to pass through 9. This is also factor in ultraviolet irradiance.

Why does earth’s surface receive more radiation at the tropics than the poles?

Closer to the poles, a beam of the same width covers a much bigger amount of the Earth (area b), because it arrives at a different angle to the Earth’s surface. This means that the surface of the Earth receives more energy in the tropics per unit area than it does at the poles.

How does solar radiation per unit area vary with latitude?

The solar radiation per unit of surface area decreases with increasing latitude in each hemisphere, because the greater the latitude, the longer the distance through the atmosphere the Sun’s rays must travel.

Why do higher latitudes receive less solar radiation per area than lower latitudes select all that are true?

How do higher latitudes receive less solar radiation than lower latitudes do? Higher latitudes receive less solar radiation because the sun’s rays stride the Earth’s surface at a less direct angle. This spreads the same amount of solar energy over a larger area, resulting in lower temperatures.

When solar radiation is dispersed over a greater area what happens to the net temperature?

When solar radiation is dispersed over a greater area, what happens to the net temperature? Explanation: When solar radiation is dispersed over a greater area, the net temperature is lower. This is because the amount of energy at any given point within the area decreases due to the spread. 7.

How does solar radiation per unit area vary with increasing latitude?

Is solar radiation increasing?

Summary: Since the late 1970s, the amount of solar radiation the sun emits, during times of quiet sunspot activity, has increased by nearly . 05 percent per decade, according to a NASA funded study. “Historical records of solar activity indicate that solar radiation has been increasing since the late 19th century.

How does the amount of solar radiation affect the Earth?

The amount of solar radiation that reaches any one spot on the Earth’s surface varies according to: Local weather. Because the Earth is round, the sun strikes the surface at different angles, ranging from 0° (just above the horizon) to 90° (directly overhead). When the sun’s rays are vertical, the Earth’s surface gets all the energy possible.

How is solar radiation used as an energy source?

Solar radiation can be captured and turned into useful forms of energy, such as heat and electricity, using a variety of technologies. However, the technical feasibility and economical operation of these technologies at a specific location depends on the available solar resource. Every location on Earth receives sunlight at least part of the year.

How is the total amount of solar radiation calculated?

How solar radiation is calculated. The total amount of radiation calculated for a particular location or area is given as global radiation. The calculation of direct, diffuse, and global insolation are repeated for each feature location or every location on the topographic surface, producing insolation maps for an entire geographic area.

How does the spectral distribution of solar radiation change?

The spectral distribution of direct solar radiation is altered as it passes through the atmosphere by absorption and scattering. The amount of energy absorbed depends on the length of path in which the solar beam traverses.