1. Hartmann Book, page 39 (Exercise # 5).
2. Astronomers sometimes determine the size of a star by a method that relies on the Stefan-Boltzmann Law. Determine the radius of the star Vapella from the following data: the flux of the starlight reaching the Earth is 1.2×10-8 Wm-2, the distance of the star is 4.3×1017 m, and its surface temperature is 5200 K. Assume the star radiates like a blackbody.
3. Hartmann Book (Chapter 3), page 79 (Exercise # 4).
4. Different authors provide different estimates for global annual mean surface energy balances. For example, see Figure 2.4 in Hartmann (1994) (i.e. the textbook), Figure 7 in Kiehl and Trenberth (1997) [Slide 2 of GPC_CH4.ppt], and Figure 1 in Trenberth et al. (2009) [Slide 3 of GPC_CH4.ppt]. Please compare the three estimates and make a table comparing the net (down minus up) shortwave flux at the surface (Wm-2), the net (up minus down) longwave flux at the surface (Wm-2), the net radiation (Wm-2), the surface sensible heat flux (Wm-2), the surface latent heat flux (Wm-2), the Bowen ratio, the shortwave absorbed flux in the atmosphere (Wm-2), the surface albedo in percent, the planetary albedo in percent, and evaporation (mm/year). Please comment on why these estimates from different authors are different, and which estimates are likely to be more accurate.
STOP HERE (The following question is optional.)
5. Modify the code (austin_solar5.pdf) to compute the daily average insolation at the top of the atmosphere as a function of latitude and season (i.e. the mid-month of each month from January to December). In your calculation, please use solar constant = 1365.2 Wm-2. Your output should have a format similar to that in TOA_Insolation_LatMon.pdf. Compare your results with Figure 2.6 in Hartmann. Draw a figure from your output using computer graphics (e.g., NCAR Command Language -- NCL; see http://www.geo.utexas.edu/courses/387h/LAID_HW/ex04_graphicFu.pdf for example).