Which statement about energy balance across latitudes is correct?

Which statement about energy balance across latitudes is correct?

• A. There is net gain in tropical latitudes, and net loss toward the poles
• B. There is net loss in tropical latitudes, and net gain toward the poles
• C. Energy balance is equal everywhere
• D. Only atmospheric energy is transferred, not radiation

Answer: (A)

Heat is received from the sun most strongly in the tropics, while the amount of heat that can be radiated back to space depends on temperature. This creates a surplus of energy in low latitudes that must be moved toward the higher latitudes to keep the planet in energy balance. The atmosphere and the oceans work together to carry this excess heat poleward. As a result, tropical regions have a net energy gain locally, while higher latitudes experience a net energy loss that is offset by heat transported from the tropics. This is why energy balance isn’t equal everywhere and why energy transfer—not just radiation alone—is needed to connect the equator to the poles.

Heat is received from the sun most strongly in the tropics, while the amount of heat that can be radiated back to space depends on temperature. This creates a surplus of energy in low latitudes that must be moved toward the higher latitudes to keep the planet in energy balance. The atmosphere and the oceans work together to carry this excess heat poleward. As a result, tropical regions have a net energy gain locally, while higher latitudes experience a net energy loss that is offset by heat transported from the tropics. This is why energy balance isn’t equal everywhere and why energy transfer—not just radiation alone—is needed to connect the equator to the poles.