3: The greenhouse Effect Flashcards
The sunlight that arrives at the top of the atmosphere is referred to as ________________________ by atmospheric scientists.
Insolation
Match the following wavelengths of sunlight to their associated effects.
380-740
infrared
ultraviolet light
with the following
heat
sunburn
or visible light
380-740 nm: Visible light
Infrared: Heat
Ultraviolet light: Sunburn
This type of radiation makes up the largest range of wavelengths in sunlight
Infrared
True or False? Hot springs, geysers, and volcanic eruptions have a significant direct effect on the heat content of our atmosphere.
False
The highest intensity of solar radiation is reached in this range of wavelengths
Group of answer choices
Visible light
A beam of solar radiation moves through an atmospheric gas molecule completely unimpeded and hits the Earth’s surface. The beam is said to have been ____________________
Transmitted
A beam of sunlight hits an atmospheric gas molecule and the radiation splits, sending some rays back to space, and others towards the surface. The beam of sunlight is said to have been__________________
Scattered
The following three gases make up 99.9% of the air in the Earth’s atmosphere (click all that apply)
Group of answer choices
Nitrogen
oxygen
argon
There are ____ major greenhouse gases, responsible for absorbing and trapping heat in our atmosphere.
6
Although some aerosols are able to absorb heat for short periods of time, the main role aerosols play in the greenhouse effect is as __________________________
The main role aerosols play in the greenhouse effect is as reflectors of incoming solar radiation.
Which of the following gases most effectively absorb incoming solar radiation in the UV range of the spectrum? (Look at the graph labelled “Absorption of Radiation by Atmospheric Gases” in your lecture slides)
Ozone and oxygen
Which of the following gases most effectively absorb infrared wavelength of around 10 microns?
oxygen and ozone
In general, greenhouse gases are collectively most effective at absorbing which wavelengths?
Infrared
Which greenhouse gas effectively absorbs the greatest range of sunlight’s wavelengths?
Water vapor
Carbon dioxide effectively absorbs the following wavelengths?
wavelengths between approximately 14 and 19 microns
Wavelengths between 0.3 and 2.3 microns are collectively known as……
wavelengths that make up the “window of incoming solar radiation”
When it comes to insolation, three important numbers are 30%, 47%, and 23%. What do they measure?
30% of insolation is reflected 23% of insolation is absorbed by the atmosphere 47% of insolation is absorbed by the Earth’s surface
On average, most reflection of insolation takes place….
at the top of the atmosphere
On average, most of insolation is___________________
On average, most of insolation is transmitted through to the surface of the Earth.
The albedo of a surface is a measure of its reflectivity. Which of the following surface has a low albedo and therefore ABSORBS most of the insolation.
water
Asphalt and water share almost the same albedo (5-6%). In other words, they absorb roughly the same amount of insolation and reflect only very little insolation. Yet, after a day in the hot sun, asphalt gets really hot, whereas a similarly thick layer of water does not. Why?
asphalt has a lower heat capacity than water - its temperature rapidly rises with increased heat absorption, whereas that of water does not.
True or False? UV radiation that is absorbed by the Earth’s surface is, in part, reradiated back to the atmosphere as UV radiation.
False. UV radiation that is absorbed by the Earth’s surface is primarily reradiated back to the atmosphere as infrared radiation, not as UV radiation.
Insolation that is reflected by the surface of the Earth essentially travels out through the atmosphere back to space without being absorbed by the atmosphere. Why?
All insolation that reaches the Earth’s surface has already been “stripped” of most of the wavelengths readily absorbed by atmospheric gas molecules, so the outgoing reflected insolation is essentially invisible to gas molecules.
The energy absorbed by the Earth’s surface is returned as heat to the atmosphere via evaporation, conduction, and radiation. Match the following to their definitions
heat absorbed by water molecules causes them to turn into a gaseous phase and rise into atmosphere
some of the Earth’s absorbed heat is directly transferred to air molecules in contact with the surface
Heat emitted from the Earth’s surface in the form of wave energy
Match with:
evaporation
conduction
radiation
Heat absorbed by water molecules causes them to turn into a gaseous phase and rise into the atmosphere: evaporation
Some of the Earth’s absorbed heat is directly transferred to air molecules in contact with the surface: conduction
Heat emitted from the Earth’s surface in the form of wave energy: radiation
Heat emitted by atmospheric gas molecules (after they absorbed it) is solely in the __________________ range of the spectrum
infrared
Historically, the atmosphere has lost the same amount of heat that it also gained at any moment in time. This is called heat equilibrium. Why then has the atmosphere not stayed freezing cold?
because after the last Ice Age, the Earth reached a certain stable level of greenhouse gases in its atmosphere. Until about 1750, these gases were at full heat capacity. Any heat added to them, would also immediately be lost to space, however, they always hold on to heat in the process.
The radiation absorbed by the Earth’s heat is effectively converted into…….
higher wavelengths, notably long-wave infrared
The Earth of today gains on average around 0.87 Watts of heat per square meter MORE than it is losing back to space. This observable and measurable phenomenon is known as…..
global warming
