How does the sun affect ocean currents, air currents, fronts, and masses?
1 Answer
It is the source of ALL energy input to the earth. Without solar energy, there would be NO currents.
Explanation:
As dynamic and complex as the earth is, all energy input to it as a system has been solar energy from the time of its formation!
Thus, it is the solar energy that drives all of the other energetic forces on earth. This is particularly true for the climatic systems of air currents and ocean currents. The constant transfer of energy from the sun to the earth's atmosphere and oceans is the cause of all of the resultant ocean currents, air currents, and the "fronts" and "masses" we observe in them.
Factors affecting that energy transfer are the state of the sun itself (high/low sunspot activity, for example), the cloud cover and type over the earth, specific concentrations of gases in the atmosphere ("Greenhouse Gasses"), the distance from the sun (elliptical orbit) and the angle of incident (planetary tilt relative to the orbital plane).
