Fundamentals of Physical Geography 1e

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Fundamentals of Physical Geography 1e
Chapter 3 Solar Energy and Atmospheric Heating
Petersen
Sack
Gabler
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(No Transcript)
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Solar Energy and Atmospheric Heating

• New Terms
• Weather
• Meteorology
• Climate
• Climatology
• 5 Basic Elements of Weather
• Solar energy (insolation)
• Temperature
• Pressure
• Wind
• Precipitation

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The Earth Sun System

• Sun and its Energy
• Thermonuclear fusion powers the sun
• 2 hydrogen atoms fuse together to form 1 helium
  atom.
• Energy emitted from the sun is in the form of
  Electromagnetic energy
• Solar Constant and a calorie

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The Earth Sun System

• Electromagnetic energy from the sun
• Shortwave (SW) solar radiation
• Gamma
• X-rays
• Ultraviolet (UV) radiation
• Visible light
• Near infrared (IR)

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The Earth Sun System

• Longwave (LW) terrestrial radiation
• Thermal Infrared (IR)
• Microwaves
• TV and radio waves

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The Earth Sun System

• Sun Angle, Duration, and Insolation
• Insolation (incoming solar radiation)
• Main source of energy on our planet
• Seasonal variations in temperature due primarily
  to fluctuations in insolation
• Direct rays
• Oblique rays

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The Earth Sun System

• Sun Angle, Duration, and Insolation

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The Earth Sun System

• Sun Angle, Duration, and Insolation

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The Earth Sun System

• Duration of Daylight for Certain Latitudes

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The Earth Sun System

• The Seasons
• Review of Plane of the Ecliptic, Inclination, and
  Parallelism (Ch. 1)
• Seasons caused by
• 23.5o tilt of Earths Equator
• Parallelism of Earths axis as Earth orbits the
  sun

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The Earth Sun System

• Summer Solstice ( June 21) in N. hemisphere
• Direct rays at 23.5o N (Tropic of Cancer)
• Northern hemisphere receives more energy
• 24 hours of sunlight (Arctic Circle to North
  Pole)
• Longest day of the year in N. hem.
• Shortest day of the year in S. hem.

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The Earth Sun System

• Autumnal Equinox in ( Sept. 22) N. hem.
• Direct rays at equator
• 12 hours of daylight everywhere

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The Earth Sun System

• Winter Solstice ( Dec. 21) in N. hemisphere
• Direct rays at 23.5o S (Tropic of Capricorn)
• Southern hemisphere receives more energy
• 24 hours of sunlight (Antarctic Circle to South
  Pole)
• Shortest day of the year in N. hem.
• Longest day of the year in S. hem.

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The Earth Sun System

• Vernal Equinox in ( March 21) N. hem.
• Direct rays at equator
• 12 hours of daylight everywhere

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The Earth Sun System

• The Seasons

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The Earth Sun System

• Latitude Lines Delimiting Solar Energy
• Arctic Circle (66.5o N)
• No darkness on June Solstice
• Antarctic Circle (66.5o S)
• No darkness on December Solstice

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The Earth Sun System

• Latitude Lines Delimiting Solar Energy
• Tropic of Cancer (23.5o N)
• Northernmost limit of vertical (direct rays) on
  June Solstice
• Tropic of Capricorn (23.5o S)
• Southernmost limit of vertical (direct rays) on
  December Solstice

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The Earth Sun System

• Latitude Lines Delimiting Solar Energy
• Suns Declination
• Analemma
• What is the declination on Oct 10th?

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The Earth Sun System

• Variations of Insolation with latitude
• Six latitudinal Zones
• North polar (Arctic)
• North middle-latitude
• North Tropical
• South Tropical
• South middle-latitude
• South polar (Antarctic)

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Characteristics of the Atmosphere

• Composition of the Atmosphere
• 97 of air is in first 25 km (16 miles)
• Density decreases with altitude.
• Abundant Gases
• Nitrogen (78)
• Oxygen (21)
• Argon (1)
• Variable Gases (lt1)
• Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapor, Ozone, CFCs,
  Methane, Nitrous Oxides, and particles (dust).

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Characteristics of the Atmosphere

• Composition of the Atmosphere Near Earths
  Surface

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Characteristics of the Atmosphere

• Composition of the Atmosphere
• Water, Particulates, and Aerosols
• Water Vapor
• 0.02 to 4
• Particulates
• Atmospheric Aerosols

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Characteristics of the Atmosphere

• Composition of the Atmosphere
• Carbon Dioxide
• Photosynthesis
• Greenhouse Effect

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Characteristics of the Atmosphere

• Greenhouse Effect
• Natural process, but humans are changing it
• Carbon dioxide and temperature
• Greenhouse (GH) Gases
• Water Vapor
• Carbon Dioxide
• Others
• LW radiation absorbed by Greenhouse Gases

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Characteristics of the Atmosphere

• Greenhouse Effect
• Increase in GH Gases causing measurable increases
  in worldwide temperatures
• CO2 trend since Industrial Revolution
• Burning of Fossil Fuels
• Deforestation

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Characteristics of the Atmosphere

• Ozone (O3)
• Protects us from damaging UV radiation
• Good ozone, located in the upper atmosphere
• Ozone Layer
• Ozone Hole

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Characteristics of the Atmosphere

• Ozone Hole
• It is not a hole, just an area in the
  stratosphere with less Ozone than normal.
• Ozone-destroying pollutants (CFCs)
• Reaches its greatest extent in October after
  Antarctic winter.
• What are the potential effects of ozone depletion
  on the worlds human population?

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Characteristics of the Atmosphere

• Vertical Layers of the Atmosphere
• Protective Function
• Ozonosphere (ozone
• layer)
• Chemical composition
• Temperature

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Characteristics of the Atmosphere

• Vertical Layers by Temperature
• Troposphere (Temp normally decreases with height)
• Environmental (Normal) lapse rate 6.5oC/1000
  meters (3.6oF/1000 feet)
• Tropopause

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Characteristics of the Atmosphere

• Vertical Layers by Temperature
• Stratosphere (Temp normally increases with
  height)
• Ozone layer
• Stratopause

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Characteristics of the Atmosphere

• Vertical Layers by Temperature
• Mesosphere
• (Temp normally decreases with height)
• Coldest at top of Mesosphere
• Mesopause
• Thermosphere
• Temp increases with height
• Reaches 1100oC (2000oF)

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Characteristics of the Atmosphere

• Atmospheric Effects on Solar Radiation

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Characteristics of the Atmosphere

• Water and Heat Energy
• Water exists in 3 states solid, liquid, vapor
• Water changes state
• Condensation
• Freezing
• Melting
• Evaporation
• Latent heat of

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Heating of the Atmosphere

• Processes of Heat Energy Transfer
• Radiation
• Conduction
• Convection
• Advection
• Latent heat of Condensation

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Heating of the Atmosphere

• The Heat Energy Budget
• The Heat Energy Budget at Earths Surface
• SW
• IR
• Other processes
• The Heat Energy Budget in the Atmosphere
• LW
• Greenhouse effect
• Other processes

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Heating of the Atmosphere

• Variations in the Heat Energy Budget
• Usually a Surplus or deficit
• Deficit in higher latitudes
• Surplus in lower latitudes
• How do you think the surplus energy in the low
  latitudes is transferred to the higher latitudes?

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Air Temperature

• Temperature and Heat
• Heat
• Temperature
• Temperature Scales
• Fahrenheit scale (oF)
• Celsius scale (oC)
• Converting

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Air Temperature

• Short-Term Variations in Temperature
• Daily effects of Insolation
• Cloud Cover
• Differential Heating of Land vs. Water
• Reflection
• Horizontal Air Movement

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Air Temperature

• Daily Effects of Insolation
• Diurnal changes
• Maximum temp 2-4 p.m.
• Minimum temp near sunrise
• Daily March of temperature
• Why does temperature rise even after solar
  energy declines?

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Air Temperature

• Cloud Cover
• Clouds usually cause lower daytime (maximum)
  temperatures and higher minimum temperatures
• In general, which are the cloudiest latitude
  zones and which are the zones with the clearest
  skies?

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Air Temperature

• Differential Heating of Land and Water
• Maritime
• Continentality
• Reflection
• Albedo
• Capacity of a surface to reflect suns energy
• Snow and ice (high)
• Horizontal Movement of Air
• Advection

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Air Temperature

• Vertical Distribution of Temperature
• Environmental (Normal) Lapse rates 6.5oC/1000m
  (3.6oF/1000 feet)
• However, it varies from this!
• Temperature Inversion

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Air Temperature

• Temperature Inversion
• Temperature increases with height
• May trap smog
• Why is the pattern (to the right) called a
  temperature inversion?

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Air Temperature

• Temperature Inversion
• Los Angeles, CA basin
• In Figure 3-23 Why is the air clear above the
  inversion?
• (see Figure 3-23)

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Air Temperature

• Temperature Inversion
• Earth cooling through conduction and radiation
• Calm winds
• Temperature inversion caused by the rapid
  cooling of the air above the cold surface of
  Earth at night.

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Air Temperature

• Surface Inversions Fog and Frost
• Valley Floors
• Warmer hillsides
• Agriculture
• Mixing the air with turbines to protect
  agriculture

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Air Temperature

• Controls of Earths Surface Temperatures
• Latitude
• Land and Water Distribution
• Ocean Currents
• Altitude
• Landform Barriers
• Human Activity

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Air Temperature

• Latitude
• Most important control on temperature
• Temp typically cools as you move towards the
  poles.
• The only exception is near the equator compared
  to areas just south and north

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Air Temperature

• Land and Water Distribution
• Specific heat of water
• Transparency of water
• Ocean Currents
• Clockwise in N. Hem.
• Counterclockwise in S. hem.

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Air Temperature

• Ocean Currents
• Gulf Stream
• Impacts on Eastern U.S.
• Impacts on Northern Europe
• California Current
• Impacts on West Coast of U.S.

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Air Temperature

• Use this figure and the information gained in
  Figure 3.26 to discuss the route sailing ships
  would follow from the United States to England
  and back.

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Air Temperature

• Altitude
• Temperature usually decreases with height.
• Snow in mountains of southern CA.
• Glaciers at the equator (Mt. Kenya)

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Air Temperature

• Landform Barriers
• Himalayas
• Southern vs. north facing slopes
• Human Activities
• Deforestation
• Urban heat islands
• Land use change and albedo

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Air Temperature

• Temperature Distribution at Earths Surface
• Isotherms
• Temperature gradient

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Air Temperature

• Horizontal Distribution of Temperature in January
  (oC)

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Air Temperature

• Horizontal Distribution of Temperature in July
  (oC)

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Air Temperature

• Annual March of Temperatures
• Annual lag of temperature
• Why do these two locations have opposite
  temperature curves?

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Fundamentals of Physical Geography 1e
End of Chapter 3 Solar Energy and Atmospheric
Heating
Petersen
Sack
Gabler