Essentials of Meteorology: Warming and Cooling Earth Chapter 2

This set of flashcards covers key concepts from the lecture notes on meteorology, focusing on temperature, heat transfer, energy balance, and seasonal variations.

What does temperature measure in terms of matter?

Temperature is a measure of the average speed (average motion) of atoms and molecules.

What is the process of heat transfer?

Heat is the energy transferred from one object to another because of a difference in temperature.

What are the three methods of heat transfer?

Conduction, convection, and radiation.

What is the freezing point in Celsius?

0°C.

What is latent heat?

Latent heat is the heat energy required to change a substance from one state to another.

How does conduction transfer heat?

Conduction transfers heat from one molecule to another in a substance, moving from warm to cold.

What is convection?

Convection is the transfer of heat by the mass movement of a fluid (e.g., water or air).

What is the greenhouse effect?

The greenhouse effect is the absorption of infrared radiation from Earth by water vapor and CO2.

What do selective absorbers do?

Selective absorbers are objects that selectively absorb and emit radiation.

Explain the concept of albedo.

Albedo is the percent of radiation returning from a given surface compared to the amount of radiation initially striking that surface.

What happens during the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere?

The sun is directly overhead, and days are longer than 12 hours.

What is Earth's annual energy balance?

Earth receives 147 units of radiant energy, radiates 117 units, resulting in a surplus of 30 units.

What causes seasonal variations on Earth?

Seasons are caused by Earth’s axial tilt as it revolves around the sun, impacting the angle and duration of sunlight received.

What is the significance of radiative equilibrium?

Radiative equilibrium occurs when the rate of absorption of solar radiation equals the rate of emission of infrared radiation from Earth.

What is the effect of atmospheric absorption on solar radiation?

The atmosphere does not readily absorb radiation with wavelengths between 0.3 and 1.0 μm.