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Lesson 4
Key Idea 2: Incoming Solar Radiation

There are numerous factors that make Earth's climate more suitable for human life than that of Mars or Venus. One important factor is the amount incoming radiation and its subsequent fate.

99% of Earth's incoming radiation comes from the sun, predominantly in the form of ultraviolet (UV), visible (vis) and infrared (IR) radiation.

To learn about incoming solar radiation, open the Earth's Radiation Balance learning tool. Click on the top, left hand panel entitled “Incoming Solar Radiation.” (wait until later to explore the other parts of the learning tool).

Before moving on, make sure you can answer the following questions:

  1. In what region(s) of the electromagnetic spectrum is incoming radiation from the sun?
  2. Is all of the energy that reaches the Earth absorbed by the Earth?

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