Chapter 8 Flashcards
oceans and climate
What is Heat Budget
expression of total solar energy received on Earth and total heat
lost from Earth during some period of time
What is heat capacity
the amount of heat needed to change a substance’s temperature by one degree
What is conduction
the amount of heat needed to change a substance’s temperature by one degree
what percent of solar energy is reflected back into space from the atmosphere, clouds, and surface of the Earth
30%
what percent of solar energy is absorbed by the water vapor, clouds, and dust in the atmosphere, where it is converted into heat
23%
what percent of solar radiation is absorbed by the land and ocean, and this energy heats up the Earth’s surface
47%
what processes control the energy absorbed by earth
conduction, radiation, and latent heat (phase change)
what percent does conduction control energy transfer
7%
what is radiation
the emission of energy in the form of electromagnetic waves
what is the greenhouse effect
in the context of climate, the ability of an atmosphere to absorb infrared radiation due to the presence of greenhouse gases
what is the process of the greenhouse effect
shortwave solar radiation passes through atmosphere and reaches the surface and is absorbed. When the radiation is re-emitted by the Earth, it is now in the form of long wavelength, infrared radiation, which does not easily pass through the atmosphere. this infrared radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere, particularly by the greenhouse gases. As a result, the atmosphere heats up
what are examples of greenhouse gasses
CO2, methane, and water vapor
what is the largest pathway for heat exchange between the land or oceans and the atmosphere
latent heat (phase changes)
what is latent heat/phase changes
heat released or absorbed when water moves between solid, liquid, and vapor forms
what does the angle of incoming solar radiation
influence
heating per unit area
and reflection
how does the curvature of the earth affect the dispersion of solar radiation
sunlight only falls perpendicular to the surface at the center of the sphere (equatorial regions). At any other point on Earth, the angle between the surface and the incoming solar radiation is less than 90 degrees. the same amount of incoming solar radiation will be concentrated in a smaller area at the equator, but spread over a much larger area at the poles. the tropics receive more intense sunlight and a greater amount of heating per unit of area than the polar regions.
what is albedo
the reflectivity of a surface of a planet (expressed as the percentage of light that reflects from the surface)
what kind of surfaces have a higher albedo
Lighter surfaces are more reflective than darker surfaces (which absorb more energy), and therefore have a higher albedo. For example, the ice and snow at the poles reflect more and absorb less radiation this is why the pole are cold and tropics are warm
Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere contribute to the greenhouse effect by trapping what kind of radiation in the atmosphere?
infrared
The most important process involved in heat exchange (outgoing) between the ocean and the atmosphere is:
latent heat/phase change
what is convection
a rotating region in a fluid in which upward motion of warmer, low density fluid in the center is balanced by downward motion of cooler, denser fluid at the periphery
what is primary production
the synthesis of organic compounds from aqueous carbon dioxide by plants, algae, and bacteria
what part f the earth receives the most light
more light reaches the tropics than the poles
what is earths heat engine
coupled atmosphere and ocean circulation