Sun is the primary source of heat and energy on Earth's surface. What type of heat transfer mostly occurs on Earth's surface?

Sunlight, or solar radiation, primarily heats the Earth's surface through a process known as radiation. This form of heat transfer involves the transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves, allowing the sun's energy to warm the land and oceans without needing a medium, like air or water.

Once the Earth's surface absorbs this solar radiation, different mechanisms come into play to distribute and move that heat:

1. Conduction: This is the process where heat is transferred from the Earth's surface to the atmosphere and within materials (like soil or rocks) by direct contact. For instance, the ground heats the air directly above it.

2. Convection: In this process, warmer air (less dense) rises, while cooler air (denser) moves in to replace it. This creates currents that help distribute heat throughout the atmosphere.

Although conduction and convection are essential for moving heat around once it's absorbed, radiation is the dominant form of heat transfer from the Sun to the Earth's surface.