Ch 4 Flashcards
Transmission:
The uninterrupted passage of shortwave and longwave energy through either the atmosphere or water
Kinetic energy
Energy of motion, like when you walk, run, or ride a bike. The vibration energy of molecules
Potential energy
stored energy, ready to do work under the right condition
Heat:
Heat flows from high temp to low temp and stops when the amount of kinetic energy and temp become equal
Sensible heat
Heat humans can feel as temperature because of kinetic energy of molecular motion
Latent heat
energy gained or lost when a matter switches form, like liquid to gas (humans do not feel it), as long as a physical change occurs, the substance itself does not change temperature
Conduction
molecule to molecule transfer of heat energy as it diffuses through a substance
Convection
the transfer of heat energy by mixing or circulation
Why is insulation not equal everywhere, and where is it more and less.
factors that keep consistent insulation values are consistent daylength and high sun altitude.
Insulation decreases around the poles, but is greater in lower altitude deserts
Scattering
When atmospheric gases as well as dust, cloud droplets, water vapor, and pollutants physically interact with insulation to redirect radiation changing its direction of the light’s movement but without altering its wavelength
Diffuse radiation
the incoming energy that has been touched by all gases, dust, etc, and its wavelengths are traveling all over the place
Ray Leigh scattering
when radiation scattered by small gas molecules effects the light, that is why the sky is blue (apparently), also causing a red/orange sky in sunset/ sun rise
refraction
the change of medium occurring when insulation passes from air to water. That changes the speed, and direction of insulation. A rainbow is created when insulation passes through Myriad raindrops and is then refracted and reflected towards the observer at a specific angle
Mirage:
When light waves are refracted by layers of air at diff temperatures and densities. Like when the sun is setting, it needs to penetrate more air then when it is up high in the sky
Albedo
the reflective quality, or brightness of a surface. We report it by the amount of insulation that is reflected back
The green house effect:
ZBD: when some of the longwave radiation in earth is absorbed by green house gases emitting them or reradiating them back to earth.
Think of our atmosphere like a green house. Shortwave radiation outside the glass, and longwave radiation inside with the plants. Clouds especially High-altitude, ice-crystal clouds reflect only about 50% of incoming insulation. So these clouds act as insulation, trapping all the longwave radiation in the earth causing its temperature to go up. So the green house effect is basically the green house gases interacting with radiation causing it to have a delayed deflection back to the atmosphere and being trapped in earth because of the Cirrus clouds acting as insulation.
Cloud green house forcing
high altitude ice crystal clouds reflect only about 50% of incoming insulation, and they trap longwave radiation from earth causing a rise in temperature
Urban heat island
Urban areas are similar deserts since they both lack vegetation.
Areas with buildings, concrete, and high density tent to have higher temperatures than areas with more vegetation.
Concrete, bricks, asphalt tend to conduct more heat then soil and grass.
