Title: Energy Balance in the Atmosphere
1Energy Balance in the Atmosphere
2Weather
- State of the atmosphere at any given time and
place - Components
- Temp, wind, humidity, cloudiness, etc
- Dynamic
3Climate
- Characteristic weather of a region
- Temp and precipitation
- Yearly, decade ave.
4E.B. in the Atm
- Surface events driven by solar heating
- Weather and climate affected by complex variables
- Ex. Solar radiation distribution
- Buffalo vs. McKinney
5Of Waves and Packets
- We receive 1/2,000,000,000th of Suns total
output - Light behaves as both a packet of energy/particle
(photon) and as a wave - Speed of light
- in a vacuum
- 3x108 m/sec
6273 K 0C
7Seeing things differently
The sun
8Its Such a Good Vibration
- Photons transmit energy causing
- Vibration of molecules (increased temperature)
- Chemical/physical reactions in our skin
9Such a Sweet Excitation
- Excitations of electrons
- Subsequent release of
energy
10Emission of Radiation
- Everything omits radiation that is above
-273ºC - As Temp ? Energy ? Wavelength ?
11Absorption
- Sun (6000ºC) emits high energy
- Earth absorbs it and then reemits it but its
temperature is lower - Emits low energy, long wavelength, invisible,
infrared heat radiation
12Clouds give off heat (internal plus re-emitted
sunlight) 45 (new stuff) 1964
Amount Earth loses to space is 153-96 57
Of total energy released, 96 is trapped
153 is energy released from Earth
13Albedo
- Colder on cloudy days
- Warmer on cloudy nights
14Scattering
- Amount of scattering inversely proportional to
wavelength of light - Blue scatters the most, so sky is blue
Tank vs. me
15Temperature, Heat, Conduction
- T proportional to average speed of atoms
- Heat Average energy of atoms
- Conduction transport of heat
by direct collisions
16Convection
- Gases too mobile to be in contact
- Radiant energy (waves) interact with gas
molecules causing them to vibrate faster - Occupy greater volume, less density
17Latent Heat
- Energy released or absorbed when a substance
changes state
Sweating keeps you cool
Melting snow can cool the Earth
18Heat Storage
- Specific Heat Amount of energy needed to raise
the T of 1 gram of water by 1ºC - Rocks low specific heat
- Water high specific heat
- Lakes in the summer time vs. winter time
- Inlands vs. coast lines
19Our Spherical Earth
- Earth sphere
- Unequal distribution of suns rays
20Seasons
- In addition to being spherical, the earths axis
is tilted 23.5 degrees from vertical - If not for tilt, there would be no seasons.
Fall equinox Sept. 21st
Summer Solstice June 21st
Winter solstice Dec. 21st
Spring equinox March 21st