Why is solar radiation the main energy source for the earth's atmospheric movement and water circulation?

Reason: Solar radiation means that the sun constantly emits electromagnetic waves and particle streams into space. Solar radiation carries great energy. Solar radiation energy comes from nuclear fusion reaction inside the sun. The solar radiation energy received by the earth is only 1/2 of the total radiation energy emitted by the sun into space, but it is the main energy source of the earth's atmospheric movement.

It is this solar radiation energy, which is insignificant to the sun, that brings important energy to the earth, provides the growth of life on the earth, the operation of the ecosystem, provides most of the energy for human society, and also promotes the atmospheric movement, water cycle and ocean current movement of the earth.

Judging from the climatic factors, solar radiation energy includes heat and light, and we can know that the overall distribution law of global heat is "decreasing from equator to poles".

Extended data

The radiation from the sun contains many electromagnetic waves with different wavelengths. Different electromagnetic waves carry different energy. The wavelength range of solar radiation is 0. 15~4.0 microns, which is called short-wave radiation and can be divided into three bands. Visible light with wavelength of 0.4-0.76 micron; Wavelengths greater than 0.76 microns are in the infrared region; Wavelengths less than 0.4 microns are in the ultraviolet region.

Horizontally, the area with the largest annual solar radiation in the world should be in the area with "low latitude and clear weather", that is, the tropical desert climate distribution area, in which the Sahara desert in northern Africa is the area with the largest annual solar radiation distribution in the world.

In addition, "altitude" is also a factor that affects the intensity of solar radiation (illumination), because the higher the altitude, the thinner the corresponding atmospheric thickness, the weaker the weakening effect of the atmosphere on solar radiation, and the stronger the intensity of solar radiation reaching the ground.

Baidu encyclopedia-solar radiation