Heat Budget Flashcards
What would the Earth Surface temperature be
18C
Average temperature of the earth’s surface
14C due to energy recycling within atmosphere by greenhouse gases
Thermal radiation
Function of the temperature of the object (absolute temperature )
Absolute temperature
C+273
Heat radiated at the latitude of Arctic Ice
About 65% of heat radiated at the latitude of the Coral Sea
Earth in steady state
Heat input from the sun must be balanced by head lost by atm./ocean/land. Therefore, transport of heat from the tropics to higher latitudes, in the atmosphere and ocean
Lower 10km of he atmosphere (troposphere)
Air temperature typically decreases upwards at a rate of 6.5/km
High temperature water- energy
Contains more heat which is a form of energy
Heat storage- water
Water stores 8 times as much heat as rock
Adiabiatic expansion
Matter cooling as it expands
Air pressure
The weight of the overlying atmosphere. Pressure decreases with height as there is less air mass above
Parcel of air rising through the troposphere
Pressure decreases and it expands. Drop in temperature due to adiabatic expansion of dry air. As it cools, it contracts, becomes denser and sinks
Adiabatic expansion of dry air
10/km
Adiabatic expansion of moist air
Less than 6.5/km
Hadley Cells
Driven by the thermal convection of air that must be warm and moist; precipitation within thundercloud is a necessary part of the system.
Effects of continents
Smaller SHC of rocks compared to water, the land cools down and warms up much quicker than the ocean. Continents become hotter than oceans in the summer and cooler in winter. Consequently, convection cells cause winds to blow out of continents in winter and into them in summer
Sea surface salinity
High salinity associated with subtropical evaporation and lower salinity due to equatorial rainfall
Aphelion
Distant path position to the sun
Perihelion
Close path position to the sun
