How do the earth's surfaces receive and give off heat? All of the earth's surfaces absorb and give off the sun's heat energy (Insolation: Incoming Solar Radiation), at different rates. That makes the earth's surfaces heat and cool at different rates. While land heats up quickly and cools down quickly, water heats up slowly and cools down extremely slowly, holding on to its heat. An example is the beach during the summer. During the day, the sand is extremely hot, while the ocean is cold. At night, the sand would feel cold under our feet, while the water would feel warm. This absorption, and reflection, of the sun's heat energy, plays an important role in weather and seasons on earth.