If temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance, how can temperature be transferred from one medium to another?
There are three types of energy transfer that play a role in climatic processes:
Convection: The transfer of energy by the movement of molecules in fluids (liquids or gases that flow). This lizard feels convection as a cool breeze.
Radiation: The transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves. The lizard feels radiation from rays of visible and ultraviolet light coming from the sun.
Conduction: The transfer of energy through direct contact and collisions between neighboring molecules. The lizard pictured above feels heat energy transferring directly from the warm rock to his underbelly, increasing the average kinetic energy of the particles that make up his body.