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Q10 (CAPF/2024) Geography › World Physical Geography › Atmospheric heat balance

Consider the following statements regarding the temperature of the Earth's surface: 1. The temperature of a surface is determined by net radiation 2. Net radiation produces a radiant energy flow that can heat or cool a surface 3. Net radiation balance is usually positive during the daytime and negative during night time 4. Soil surface loses energy as temperature increases during the daytime

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: D
Explanation

The temperature of the Earth's surface is fundamentally determined by the net radiation balance, which represents the sum of incoming and outgoing radiation fluxes [1]. Net radiation produces a radiant energy flow that acts as the primary driver for heating or cooling the surface. During the daytime, the net radiation balance is typically positive due to the dominance of incoming shortwave solar radiation, whereas at night, it becomes negative as the surface loses energy through longwave terrestrial radiation without solar input [3]. Statement 4 is also correct because as the soil surface temperature increases during the day, it loses energy through various mechanisms including upward longwave radiation, sensible heat flux to the atmosphere, and ground heat flux into the cooler subsurface layers. This complex energy exchange maintains the surface energy budget [2].

Sources

  1. [1] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: Solar Radiation, Heat Balance and Temperature > Variation in the Net Heat Budget at the Earth's Surface > p. 70
  2. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 21: Horizontal Distribution of Temperature > Insolation > p. 282
  3. [2] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: Solar Radiation, Heat Balance and Temperature > Terrestrial Radiation > p. 69
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