How does the earth get heated?
Answers
Answer:
The heat source for our planet is the sun. Energy from the sun is transferred through space and through the earth's atmosphere to the earth's surface. Since this energy warms the earth's surface and atmosphere, some of it is or becomes heat energy. There are three ways heat is transferred into and through the atmosphere:
radiation
conduction
convection
Heating the Earth
Some of the solar energy that arrives at the Earth bounces off the atmosphere and clouds and back into space. The surface of the Earth receives about half of the incoming solar radiation. The solar energy takes the form of heat and visible light as well as ultraviolet rays, the type of energy that causes sunburn. The energy is absorbed by matter, including air, water, rocks, buildings, pavement and living things, and the matter is heated as a result. The Earth does not heat evenly, chiefly because some areas receive more solar radiation than others. The differences in energy drive the winds and ocean currents across the entire pl