Climate Section 2 Flashcards
What drives Earth’s weather and climate and global winds
The Sun heats the Earth unequally so some places are warmer than others
What is electromagnetic radiation
Energy from the sun, travels in waves through empty space
Why is there multiple wavelengths
The Sun is made of different atoms and these atoms fuse differently, the energy produced is of different intensity or different wavelengths.
How does temperature affect the type of energy an object produces
Something like the Sun makes a lot of visible light but the Earth makes infrared light.
What is albedo
The reflectivity of an object/surface. 0 absorbs all energy, 1 reflects all energy.
What is radiation
Energy transfers from the surface (or an object) through empty space
What is reflection
Energy hits a surface (or an object) and then bounces off in the opposite direction
What is absorbtion
Energy is taken in by the surface (or an object) and makes the molecules move faster (increases temperature)
What do Greenhouse Gasses do
They are in the atmosphere and they take the infrared energy from the Earth and re-radiate the energy either back to Earth or into space, which heats up the Earth.
Earth’s Energy Budget
The transfer of heat within the Earth. Total input-total output = change in storage.
How does Earth’s temperature change
If more energy goes into earth then out, the temperature increases. Vice versa is true as well.
What is specific heat
The heat required to raise the temperature of the unit mass of a given substance by a given amount (usually one degree).
Describe Infrared Radiation
Radiation from the Earth
Describe visible light radiation
Energy from the sun (it reflects off of surfaces on Earth)
Describe UV radiation
Energy from the sun (but not visible light)
