Everything about Effect Of Sun Angle On Climate totally explained
The angle at which
sunlight strikes the earth, which varies by location, time of day, and season, is an important factor in the amount of heat energy received at any location on the globe. Seasonal change in the angle of sunlight, caused by the tilt of the earth's
axis, is the basic mechanism that results in warmer weather in
summer than in
winter (see Figure 1). Change in
day length is another factor. (See also
season.)
Geometry of sun angle
When sunlight shines on the earth at a lower angle (sun closer to the horizon), the energy of the sunlight is spread over a larger area, and is therefore weaker than if the sun is higher overhead and the energy is concentrated on a smaller area. (See Figure 2.)
Figure 1 shows the angle of sunlight striking the earth in the
Northern and
equator when the earth's northern axis is tilted away from the sun.
Figure 2 depicts a sunbeam one mile wide falling on the ground from directly overhead, and another hitting the ground at a 30° angle.
Trigonometry tells us that the
sine of a 30° angle is 1/2, whereas the sine of a 90° angle is 1. Therefore, the sunbeam hitting the ground at a 30° angle spreads the same amount of light over twice as much area (if we imagine the sun shining from the south at
noon, the north-south width doubles; the east-west width does not). Consequently, the amount of light falling on each square mile is only half as much.
The sunbeam entering at the shallower angle must also travel twice as far through the Earth's
atmosphere, which reflects some of the energy back into space.
Technical note
Heat energy isn't received from the Sun.
Radiant energy is received and this results in change in
energy level of receiving bodies in Earth's domain. Different materials have different properties for transmitting back received energy in the form of
heat energy at different rates.
Concrete and
tar for example are slow releasers. Most
metals are fast releasers.
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