Chapter 3 Solar Energy

What does the sun’s great mass produce??

Produces pressure and high temperatures

The pressure and high temperatures from the sun causes…

Nuclear Fusion, which releases energy

Energy flows from the sun in what kind of waves?

Electromagnetic Waves

Wavelength is..

The distance between 2 corresponding points between 2 successive waves

The Electromagnetic Spectrum is..

The spectrum of all possible wavelengths

Solar Winds are..

Clouds of electrically charged particles that surge away from the sun

• It produces auroras around the poles

Which rays are shorter than visible light?

Gamma rays, X-rays and Ultra-violet rays

Which rays are longer than visible light?

Near Infrared, Shortwave Infrared, and Middle Infrared

The sun emits what kind of energy?

Shortwave energy

The Earth emits what kind of energy?

Longwave energy

What are the three shortwave energy that the sun emits?

• Visible Light (47%)

• Infrared (45%)

• Gamma, X-rays, and UV (8%)

Solar energy first interacts with the…

Thermopause

Insolation is a nickname for..

Incoming Solar Radiation

What is a greenhouse gas?

Absorb infrared waves as they reradiate form Eath’s surface and try to leave the atmosphere

What are the four examples of heat transfers?

Conduction, Convection, Advection, Evaporation

What is transmission?

The passage of energy through the atmosphere or water (No Change)

What is scattering?

When the direction of light’s movement is changed, without altering its wavelengths (Change In Movement, No Change In Wavelength)

What is refraction?

Changed in lights direction and speed

What is absorption?

Assimilation of radiation by matter and its conversion from one form of energy to another (EX: light to heat energy through a black pavement)

What is relfection?

A portion of arriving radiation bounces directly back into space without being absorbed

A white surface, like snow, has a _____ albedo, while a black surface, like concrete, has a _____ albedo.

Higher, Lower

Most of incoming solar radiation is…

Absorbed at the surface of Earth (45%), Reflected (31%), or Absorbed in the atmosphere (24%)

At the poles, the sun’s rays arrive at ______ to Earth

Oblique Angles

Insolation is more ___ at the Equator.

Concentrated

Insolation is more ___ at the Poles

Diffused or Dispersed

The equator has how much more energy than the poles?

2.5 X

Low-latitude energy..

Surpluses

High-latitude

Deficits

Low-latitude and high-latitide cause…

A poleward transport of energy through atmospheric circulation and ocean currents

What is the relaitonship between low latitude and temperatures?

High avergae of temperatures, but low temperature range

What is the relationship between high latitude and temperatures?

Low average temperatures, but a high temperature range

What two things play major roles in determining climate patterns?

Global air circulation and precipitation patterns

What is Net Radiation?

Takes the total amount of incoming shortwave radiation subtracted against outgoing longwave radiation

What are seasons?

The change in the sun’s position above the horizon and day-lengths during the year.

When is Earth farthest from the Sun?

During the summer, more specifically July 4th

When is Earth closest to the Sun?

During the winter, more specifically January 3rd

1. Solar radiation heats the _____ of the Earth, especially around the equator

Surface

2. Warm, moist air ascends along the equator. As it ascends the air ____ and water vapor _____

Cools, Condenses

What is revolution?

How Earth revolves around the Sun (One Year = One Whole Voyage)

What is rotation?

Earth rotates on its axis (once every 24 hours)

What is the tilt of Earth’s axis?

Is tilted 23.5 degrees from the plane of ecliptic

3. Then, this causes high amounts of _____ falling along the equator.

Precipitation

As the seasons change, so does the sun’s ___ also changes.

altitude

What five things affect the seasons on Earth?

Sphericity, Axial Parallelism, Tilt of Earth’s Axis, Rotation, and Revolution

What is sphericity?

How the different latitudes receive amounts of energy on the same day

What is axial parallelism?

The axis maintains alignment during orbit around the Sun