Insolation

Insolation is……
• IN = incoming
• SOL = solar
• ATION = radiation
• Def: radiation from the sun
 We receive only one 2 billionth
(1/2,000,000,000) of all the suns
energy!
• All areas of the Earth
get the same amount
of sunlight!

• Why are some area’s

cold and others hot?
Some area’s have greater intensity
then others
• Intensity of Insolation is correlated to the
average surface temperature.
– As intensity goes up, so does temp.
 #1 Factor affecting Insolation
• Angle of Insolation or the angle of the sun
ray’s hitting the earth.
• The greater the angle, the greater the
temperature.
• 00 is cold – 900 is hot
How does angle affect intensity?
 What affects angle?
• Time of day
– When is the sun highest in the sky?
– 12 pm, noon
– As the sun gets higher in the sky, what
happens to the shadow length?
– Shadow Video
• Higher angle = small shadow = High
temps

• What determines the angle of insolation

is…
 Latitude
• Dictates the angle and duration of insolation (# of
daylight hours)
Date Latitude Angle of Duration of
noon sun insolation
Dec 21 60oN 6o 5 hrs

Dec 21 40oN 26o 9 hrs

Dec 21 0oN 66o 12 hrs

 Intensity due to tilt of the Earth
• The earth is tilted 23 1/2o to the sun which
causes changes in intesity
– Higher latitude = Less intense
– Low latitude = more intense
– Equator is most intense on average.
 Why do we experience seasons?
• Seasons are the result of earths tilt and
revolution.

• Tilt = 23.5 degrees, increased tilt = hotter

summers and colder winters.
 Seasons are opposite in Southern
Hempisphere

• What if tilt were more/less?

• There would be greater differences in

temperatures for the latitudes.
When does hottest/coldest times of
day/year occur? Why?
 Warmest Times
• Temp. rises = incoming energy>outgoing
energy

• Temp. drops = incoming<outgoing

• Radioactive Balance = Incoming energy is
the same as Outgoing energy

• Hottest times occur after maximum

insolation because incoming=outgoing
energy
 Greenhouse Effect
• Warming trend due to absorption of
terrestrial (land) radiation (infrared) by
greenhouse gases (CO2 + H2O vapor)
• Without greenhouse gases, the average temp of
59oF, would drop to 0o F

• CH4 (Methane), water vapor, CO2, as well as

Other gases

• If all ice were to melt on Earth seal level would

reach 75m.!
• !
• Seal level is rising 2.5 mm/yr
Sky Dome Model