Atmospheric heat budget Flashcards
1
Q
What is the atmospheric heat budget?
A
The balance of energy between the earths ATMOSPHERE and its SURFACE
2
Q
What are the primary inputs to the atmospheric heat budget?
A
Solar energy & the Earths internal heat
3
Q
What are the primary outputs to the atmospheric heat budget?
A
Reflection, absorption and emission of IR radiation
4
Q
What kind of balance would cause global warming?
A
If the incoming energy from the Sun is greater than the energy that is radiated back into space
5
Q
What kind of balance would cause global cooling?
A
If more energy is radiated back into space than is aborsbed from the Sun
6
Q
Why do areas further away from the equator experience lower temperatures?
A
On curved areas of the earth, more surface area must be covered by the same amount of solar energy
