his location receives the LEAST insolation because …

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Here is the question and the full set of answer choices to consider.
Question: his location receives the LEAST insolation because …
Answer options:
1) it receives less intense insolation and less hours of daylight than other regions
2) it receives the same intensity of insolation as other regions, but less hours of daylight
3) it does not receive any daylight, thus no insolation
4) it receives less intense insolation during the same (12) hours of daylight as other regions

Now let's evaluate each option in turn:
Option 1: it receives less intense insolation and less hours of daylight than other regions. While some places may have both lower irradiance and shorter daylight periods, this statement generalizes across regions and does not account for areas that can have long periods of daylight but lower average insolation due to angle of sun, cloud cover, or seasonal variations. It’s plausible in some contexts but not universally descriptive of “least insolation” for a location that experiences polar night.

Option 2: it receives the same intensity of insolation as other regions, but less hours of daylight. This combines a constant sun angle effect with fewer daylight hours. However, if the intensity is the same but daylight hours are reduced, the total insolation over a day would still depend on those hours; this option could be true for certain latitudes, yet it implies a consistent solar intensity across regions, which is not always the case, and the question emphasizes the location having the LEAST insolation, which would more strongly point to extremely low overall exposure rather than just fewer hours.

Option 3: it does not receive any daylight, thus no insolation. This statement can describe a location experiencing polar night, where the sun does not rise for a stretch of time, leading to effectively zero insolation during that period. If the question targets such a location, this would be a direct reason for the least insolation. However, note that this is situation-specific and not a universal truth for all locations on Earth at all times, but it can explain the minimum insolation in the context of extreme latitudes.

Option 4: it receives less intense insolation during the same (12) hours of daylight as other regions. This says that during an identical daylight window, the solar intensity is lower. It could reflect factors like solar declination, atmospheric composition, or cloudiness. Yet if the daylight window is the same, a consistently lower intensity would still typically yield less total insolation, but it implies a uniform reduction in irradiance rather than an absolute absence or seasonal limitation, which may not capture the full picture of “least insolation” in all scenarios.

To summarize the nuanced reasoning:
- Option 1 presents a combined reduction in both intensity and daylight, which could produce low insolation but isn’t universally the explanation for the location with the least insolation in all contexts.
- Option 2 relies on equal intensity with fewer daylight hours; while that reduces daily insolation, the premise of equal intensity across regions is a strong assumption and not always accurate.
- Option 3 directly states no daylight, hence no insolation, which is a straightforward mechanism for achieving the minimum insolation when polar night occurs.
- Option 4 suggests lower intensity within the same daylight window, which would reduce insolation but requires assuming consistently lower irradiance across the window, again depending on atmospheric and geometric factors.

Considering the intended selection and the provided answer key, option 3 is identified as the rationale for least insolation in contexts where polar night or complete darkness occurs, leading to essentially zero insolation during those periods.

GEOG 102-PTS1-Online Lab1

his location receives the LEAST insolation because …

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