The interactions between the Sun and Earth’s air, land, water and
living things plays a major role in producing Earths Climate.
Solar Energy: _________________________________________________
Radiation: ____________________________________________________
 Solar energy has a range of energy levels called the ______________
_________________________
Sun Energy
 The climate in a region depends on the amount of ________________
________________________
 In years when the sun gives off more energy the
_____________________________________________
 In years when the sun is giving off less energy the
_____________________________________________
THE EARTH ABSORBES ENERGY FROM THE SUN
 what happens to the radiation of the sun once it hits the earth?
 Some energy is absorbed and some reflected. The earth must maintain
a balance or else it will become too hot. The diagram below shows
you how the earth maintains its heat balance.
Curve of the Earth
 The ____________ of the Earth has a __________ impact on the
_________________________________
Latitude: _____________________________________________________
______________________________________
 Because of the Earths round shape the sun hits it at _______________
 ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
 ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Earth’s Tilt
 The Earth is on a tilted axis. _________________________________
 During our _______________________________________________
o We receive more ______________________ which causes
____________________________________
 During our _______________________________________________
o We receive ______________ which causes ________________
 Earth’s tilt varies over ___________ years from ___________. This
change also affects the _______________________
Earths Orbit
 Earths orbit changes over _________________ years going from
almost __________________.
 Earth gets up to ______________________at the ________________
compared to the ____________________
Earth’s Wobble
 Earth wobbles around it’s __________________________________
_________________________
o This takes __________________
The combination of the tilt, orbit and wobble is the cause of the
_____________________________________. Climate scientists think that
the cycles are the main cause of the ________________________________
Homework:
1. List three possible causes of long term climate change
2. Explain why a city in Canada experiences winter at the same time as a
city in South America experiences winter
3. Compare the Sun’s energy that reaches the equator to the Sun’s
energy that reaches the areas nearer the poles.
4. Explain why you would expect the climate in Ecuador (near the
equator) to be warmer than the climate in Greenland (near the North
pole)
5. Do you think Earth and Sun interaction is causing the fast rate of
climate change that we are observing today? Explain