Factors Affecting Climate?

the poles get less sunlight annually due to the earth's tilt and rotation around the sun. the areas that get the most sunlight are near the tropic zones. the equator gets the most sunlight. this is why the poles are colder and the equator is hotter. also, less atmosphere means less heat can be trapped. the ice on the poles reflects a lot of the sun's energy through infrared. infrared energy normally reacts with the gases in the troposphere (greenhouse gases) and "bounces around" in the troposphere, warming the planet. so an area with less atmosphere would have less insulating abilities.