What factors determine climate?
Climate is determined by the solar energy that enters the earth system and how it is distributed. The radiation balance is the difference between the energy that enters the system and the energy that leaves it. This balance affects the temperature of the sea surface and air and causes the evaporation of water from oceans and land surfaces, thus contributing to cloud formation. Because the earth is not a perfect sphere, more solar energy arrives to a given surface area in the tropics than at higher latitudes. As a result, energy is transferred from equatorial to higher latitudes via atmospheric and oceanic circulations, including wind, storm systems and ocean currents. This circulation powers the climate system.
