The Atmospheric Heat Budget Flashcards
What does the heat budget of the earth depend on
The balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiation from the planet
Insolation
Incoming solar radiation
Over the last few thousand years
The energy budget has remained constant
Overall the surface has a net
Gain of energy (although some from the sun is lost through the atmosphere)
Where is their a deficit in the energy budget
Polar regions
How much of the incoming solar radiation reaches the surface of the earth
24%
Because of absorption, reflection and scattering
Energy budget of the atmosphere
Net deficit
What happens due to the difference in energy budgets throughout the earth
Heat is transferred from the surface of the earth to the atmosphere by radiation, conduction and by the release of latent heat
Between different latitudes there are
Variations in energy and heat between different latitudes
Low latitudes
Net surplus of energy
Because of their relative proximity to the sun
High latitudes (poleward 40•N and 40•S)
Net deficit
Theoretically this differential heating due to latitudes should result in
The equatorial regions being much hotter and the poles much colder than they are
As this is not the case, heat must be being transferred
What are the two means of heat transfer
Air movement (winds) Water movement (ocean currents)
