Chapter 4 Flashcards
What is albedo?
reflectivity of a planet
What is earth losing energy equal to?
rate at which it is receiving energy from the sun
What is the atmosphere opaque to?
infrared photons and all of them are absorbed by the atmosphere
What direction are photons emitted by the atmosphere?
upward direction to space and carry energy away from earth
What happens to photons emitted downwards?
they are absorbed by the surface
Are photons emitted by the atmosphere visible?
no, but they still carry energy
What is the greenhouse effect?
heating of the surface by the atmosphere
What is the surface temp determined by?
layers in atmosphere
solar constant
albedo
What do greenhouse gases absorb?
infrared photons
What is the number of layers equivalent to?
amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
What happens when there is an increase in greenhouse gases?
increase in number of layers and warming climate
What is the temp of our climate set by?
requirement that energy in and energy out balance
Does the climate produce energy balance for earth?
yes
What is the Solar constant (S)?
intensity of sunlight at planets orbit
What are the characteristics of the sun hitting the earth at the equator?
more direction sunlight, warmer, closest to sun, more solar energy
What are the characteristics of the suns rays at the poles?
rays miss the poles that is why they are the coldest, least amount of energy
What does the variation in solar energy with surface orientation in local temp relate to?
sun angle because the earth is rotating and the sun gets more direct throughout the day (depends on time)
When are the warmest temps?
3-5 pm
What are the levels of the atmosphere?
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Exosphere
What is the atmosphere composed of?
nitrogen, oxygen, argon, CO2, methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide
What happens to the temperature in the atmosphere?
gets warmer in the stratosphere, but colder everywhere else
How many km is it to the end of the thermosphere?
600 km
What is earth’s diameter?
12742 km
What is earth’s distance to sun?
149.6 million km
