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Basic Transfers |
| What are the three processes that affect radiation in the Earth's atmosphere? |
| What gas molecules in the atmosphere are responsible for
most of the absorption of ultraviolet radiation?
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| What are the processes that transfer heat/matter between the Earth's surface and the overlying atmosphere? |
| Of the 100 units of solar radiation coming into the atmosphere, how much is reflected back to space, how much is absorbed by the Earth's surface, and how much is absorbed by the atmosphere and clouds? [Which absorbs more solar energy, the atmosphere and clouds, or the Earth's surface?] |
| In Bryant's book page 27, middle of 2nd paragraph, it
states that "... These fluxes are both dwarfed by the longwave radiation
flux from the Earth's surface, absorption of that radiation by cloud and
greenhouse gases, and transmission of that radiation back to the Earth's
surface."
Here what fluxes are dwarfed? Do you understand why the Earth radiates to the atmosphere energy higher than the total solar radiation input to the Earth-atmosphere? |
| Studying Figure 2.8 in Bryant's book (page 27), comparing
the abilities of atmosphere (including cloud and greenhouse gases) in
absorbing solar radiation and longwave radiation, do you think the
atmosphere has equal absorption abilities? If not, then why? The earth's surface has a radiation (surplus or deficit). The earth's atmosphere has a radiation (surplus or deficit). How is this imbalance corrected? (i.e., how is the energy budget balanced?) Describe what happens to incoming solar radiation? What happens to 100 units of solar radiation entering the atmosphere? What happens to 117 units of radiation emitted by the earth's surface? What happens to 160 units of radiation emitted by the earth's atmosphere? Describe the three processes by which heat is transferred in the earth's global energy system. What are sensible and latent heat? |
| On average the poles are regions where there is a deficit in radiation, while the tropics show a surplus in radiation. But why don't the polar regions become cooler and cooler, and why don't the tropics become warmer and warmer? |
| Additional Readings: |
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| Last updated on 12/08/09 02:52 PM |