Astronomical Control of Solar Radiation

1) Why does Earth have seasons? 2) When is Earth closest to the Sun in its present orbit? How does this “close pass” position affect the amount of radiation received on Earth? 3) Earth’s tilt is slowly decreasing today. As it does so, are the polar regions receiving more or less solar radiation in summer? In winter? 4) Who was the scientist in the video we watched on Tuesday? 5) How is axial precession different from precession of the ellipse? 6) How does eccentricity combine with precession to control a key aspect of the amount of insolation Earth receives? 7) Do insolation changes during summer and winter have the same or opposite timing at any single location on Earth? Why or why not? 8) Do the following changes occur at the same time (same year) in Earth’s orbital cycles? (a) Summer insolation maxima at both poles caused by changes in tilt? (b) Summer insolation maxima in the tropics of both hemispheres caused by precession? 9) What kind of seismic wave was used to measure ocean temperature changes? 10) What orbital event occurred this week and when did it occur?