Atmosphere - The Global Heat Budget

Question 1

Over __% of insolation is ___ by ___ and ___ meaning it does not reach the surface.

Answer 1

20%, absorbed, clouds, particles

Question 2

Incoming solar radiation is…

Answer 2

short-wave

Question 3

When the earth’s surface is heated, what is re-radiated?

Answer 3

long-wave radiation

Question 4

__% of insolation is absorbed by the earth’s surface, and the rest gets ___ or ___ as it travels through the ___.

Answer 4

51%, absorbed, reflected, atmosphere

Question 5

__% of this radiation is reflected into ___, and the rest is absorbed by…

Answer 5

6%, space, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

Question 6

In polar regions, there is a greater amount of… so…

Answer 6

atmosphere to pass through, so more insolation gets deflected away

Question 7

At the poles, solar radiation is spread over… due to… resulting in…

Answer 7

a larger area, due to the angle of the waves, resulting in lower temperatures

Question 8

Light coloured surfaces, such as snow, have… and so…

Answer 8

higher albedos, and so reflect more heat back into the atmosphere.

Question 9

Forests and rainforests have lower albedos because…

Answer 9

they’re darker and so are warmer

Question 10

At the tropics, solar radiation has less… and so…

Answer 10

atmosphere to pass through, and so less insolation is absorbed or reflected by the atmosphere, and the surface is heated more.

Question 11

Due to the tilt of the earth, the poles receive… whereas the tropics receive…

Answer 11

less insolation in winters, insolation all year round.