GEOG 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Orbital Inclination, Advection
Document Summary
The axis of the earth is always in the same position, tilted at 23. 5 degrees away from the perpendicular. Every 24 hours the earth rotates on this axis and simultaneously orbits the earth. If the earth were not tilted, the solar energy received at a given latitude would not vary during the course of the year. Due to the angle of inclination, the location of the highest incidence of incoming solar energy varies. When the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, they experience summer and when it is tilted away from the sun, they experience winter. Most of the solar energy we receive is sent back into the troposphere and outer space via reflection. Clouds are dense concentrations of suspended, tiny water or ice particles that reflect a lot of energy. Energy is also lost through reradiation, the earth"s surface acts as a communicator of energy.
