Ch. 4 Flashcards
1
Q
What is insolation?
A
Incoming solar radiation. The single energy input driving the Earth- atmosphere system, yet it is not equal at all surfaces across the globe
2
Q
What is the principle of Rayleigh scattering?
A
This principle applies to radiation scattered by small gas molecules and relates the amount of scattering in the atmosphere to wavelengths of light – shorter wavelengths are scattered less
3
Q
What is albedo?
A
The reflective quality, or intrinsic brightness, of a surface
4
Q
We report albedo as the…?
A
The percentage of insolation that is reflected– 0% is total absorption and 100% is total reflectance
