ABSTRACT
The global flow of energy manifests itself through environmental, economic and demographic fluxes and the tropical region holds a pivotal position in driving these through its shaping influence on global bioproductivity. But to understand this substantive role one needs to consider where energy originates and the three exogenous sources of energy driving the evolution of the planet: geothermal, mechanical and solar. This chapter describes these sources and the role of the tropics as the planet’s powerhouse. In the case of the planet, the atmosphere is sufficiently dense to disrupt the free-flow exchange of energy between surface and space. In effect, the atmosphere acts as a great mirror, a prism and a giant sponge all at once. While there are many factors influencing atmospheric behaviour in the region, much of Sichuan’s weather is a simple accident of geography and a thermal transfer from the tropics.
