Solar Angle of Incidence Nearly all of the biomes on Earth are dictated by two factors: the amount of temperature and precipitation they receive, and these are correlated. Temperature on Earth is dependent on the solar angle of incidence, or the angle at which the light waves from the sun hit the surface of the earth. Areas of earth that are perpendicular to the sun’s rays receive more energy than other parts where the sun’s rays hit the earth at an oblique angle. Over one year, the equator receives the most amount of light energy from the sun per area; whereas the poles receive the least. At the middle latitudes there is a moderate angle of incoming light, creating moderate temperature. Solar angle of incidence is the primary determinant of global temperature patterns.