Incoming solar radiation received at the top of the atmosphere varies with latitude due to

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Question restatement: Incoming solar radiation received at the top of the atmosphere varies with latitude due to

Option 1: the spherical shape of the earth
- This answer highlights the fundamental geometric reason: Earth is a sphere, so the angle at which sunlight strikes different latitudes varies. At the equator, sunlight hits more directly, while near the poles it arrives obliquely, spreading the same solar energy over a larger area and reducing irradiance per unit area. This geometrical effect directly explains latitude-dependent variation in top-of-atmosphere radiation.

Option 2: solar beam reaching higher latitudes are different from that at lower latitudes
- This statement is describing a consequence of the same geometry (oblique incidence at higher latitudes) but it is phrased as a description of the beam rather than identifying the root cause. It is true that rays strike higher latitudes at a shallower angle, leading to differences in distribution, but as a reason for latitude variation, it is less fundamental than citing the Earth's shape. It’s a descriptive facet rather than a primary cause.

Option 3: solar constant differs at different latitudes
- This is incorrect. The solar constant is the average solar irradiance received at the top of the atmosphere when measured perpendicular to the Sun's rays and averaged over the Earth’s orbit. It is nearly the same everywhere; latitude does not cause a difference in the solar constant itself. Variations with latitude arise from the angle of incidence and the surface area over which the energy is spread, not from changes in the solar constant.

In summary, option 1 directly points to the geometric reason stemming from Earth's spherical shape, option 2 describes a consequence of that geometry but is less precise as the foundational cause, and option 3 inaccurately attributes latitude-based variation to a change in the solar constant rather than geometric factors.

CLMTGR5001_002_2025_3 - Dynamics of Climate Variability and Chan Quiz 4a Week 4 Lecture 1

Incoming solar radiation received at the top of the atmosphere varies with latitude due to

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