Planetary Energy Balance
Soaking Up the Sun
The Poles are cold and the Tropics are warm because of the curvature of the Earth.
| Scenario A |  |
Scenario B |
The sunlight at the Poles is less intense for several reasons: • The sun’s rays strike the Earth at a slanted angle and spread out over of a large area. • The arriving radiation from the sun are less intense at the Poles due to a smaller arriving angle of the sun's rays. |
The sunlight at the Equator is more intense for several reasons: • The sun’s rays strike the Earth at a 90 degree angle and in a straight line. • The intensity of the sun’s rays is focused on a smaller area. |
