Atmosphere Questions

Question 1

Describe the earths heat budget

Answer 1

Overall net gain of energy
Only 24% insolation reaches the surface - absorbed reflected or scattered
Atmosphere has a net deficit of energy - because of this difference, heat gets transferred from the surface to the atmosphere by radiation, conduction and the release of latent heat
Variations between latitudes

Question 2

Describe and explain the pattern of ocean currents

Answer 2

Cooler air is heavier and so sinks
Moves out towards Equatorial region
Air allowed to rise and flow towards poles
Creates a pattern of warmer currents flowing towards deficit at the poles and cooler currents moving towards tropical latitudes

Question 3

Why is there a net gain of solar energy at the tropics?

Answer 3

Suns Ray’s are more concentrated towards the tropics
Suns Ray’s have less atmosphere to pass through - less energy lost through absorption and reflection by the atmosphere
Tropical rainforest areas - dense vegetation - low relative albedo effect

Question 4

Explain the earths heat budget

Answer 4

Low latitudes have a net surplus of energy, mainly because of proximity to the sun.
High latitudes have a net deficit
As tropics not heating up and the poles are not cooling down, a transfer of heat must occur
Horizontal heat transfers - Air movement - jet streams, hurricanes
Water movement - Ocean Currents
Vertical heat transfer - Transferred from the warm surface vertically by radiation, conduction and convection.
Latent heat also helps to transfer energy eh when water evaporates energy is released when condensation occurs in the upper atmosphere

Question 5

Why is there a net loss of solar energy towards the poles?

Answer 5

Suns angle much lower - Ray’s spread out over a much larger area and lose intensity
Due to the earths curvature, our planets surface slopes further away from the sun
High albedo affect due to snow and ice reflecting much more of the solar radiation