Here's a breakdown:
* Solar radiation is primarily in the form of visible light and shorter wavelengths like ultraviolet.
* When this radiation hits the Earth's surface, it is absorbed and warms the ground, water, and air.
* The warmed surface then emits its own radiation, but at longer wavelengths, primarily in the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. This is what we feel as heat.
This process is crucial for the Earth's climate. The greenhouse effect, which is the trapping of infrared radiation by certain gases in the atmosphere, plays a major role in keeping our planet warm enough to support life.
