QUESTION IMAGE
Question
energy from the sun continually warms the surface of the earth. however, due to the curvature of the planet, solar energy hits the earth at different angles, resulting in uneven heating of the earths surface. the above image depicts how the same amount of solar radiation hits the earth at different latitudes. which of the following latitudes receives the least amount of solar energy per unit of surface area? this uneven heating of the earths surface explains why it is as you move farther north or south from the equator and as you move closer to the equator.
The poles (high - latitudes) receive the least solar energy per unit surface area because the sun's rays hit at a very oblique angle, spreading the energy over a larger area. As one moves further from the equator towards the poles, it gets colder due to less solar energy, and as one moves closer to the equator, it gets warmer due to more direct and concentrated solar energy.
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- High latitudes (e.g., near the poles)
- Colder
- Warmer