Insolation Flashcards
What is short-wave solar energy referred to as?
Insolation
Insolation is the solar energy received in the Earth’s atmosphere or at its surface.
What percentage of insolation reaches the Earth’s surface?
Approximately 52 percent
The rest is absorbed by water vapour, dust and clouds, or reflected and scattered.
What absorbs the remaining insolation that does not reach the Earth’s surface?
Water vapour, dust, and clouds
Additionally, some is reflected by the Earth’s surface and scattered by particles in the air.
What term describes the reflection of solar energy from an object?
Albedo
Albedo is the extent to which an object diffusely reflects light from the Sun.
What is trapped in our atmosphere and keeps the planet warm?
Reflected heat in the form of long-wave radiation
This process is part of the natural greenhouse effect.
What is the natural greenhouse effect?
The trapping of reflected heat in the atmosphere that keeps the planet warm
It is crucial for maintaining Earth’s temperature.
What is the original source of most of the energy found on Earth?
The energy of the sun
What does the term insolation refer to?
The amount of solar radiation that reaches the earth’s surface
How is insolation measured?
By the amount of solar energy received per square centimetre per minute
What percentage of insolation reaches the Earth’s surface?
52%
What percentage of insolation is reflected back to space by the atmosphere?
48%
What is albedo?
The measure of how much light that hits a surface is reflected without being absorbed
Fill in the blank: Insolation is derived from the words ‘incoming _______ radiation’.
solar
True or False: All insolation reaches the Earth’s surface without interference.
False
What absorbs some of the insolation before it reaches the Earth’s surface?
Gas molecules and dust in the atmosphere
