Glaciers and Solar Radiation

Flashcards related to glaciers, albedo, the ozone layer, and the greenhouse effect.

Albedo

The reflection of solar radiation based on the surface, texture, and colors of the surface.

Absorption of Solar Radiation

Absorption of radiation by clouds, dust, water vapor, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and ozone; ozone absorbs short UV rays and releases energy as longwave radiation.

Ozone Layer

A filter in the stratosphere with three oxygen molecules that absorbs shortwave radiation and re-emits longwave radiation.

Factors Changing Solar Radiation Levels

The tilt of the earth at 23.5 degrees and its position relative to the sun, amount of ice, type of land cover (e.g., concrete vs. forest), and gases in the atmosphere.

Greenhouse Effect

Naturally occurring process where carbon dioxide in the atmosphere acts as a blanket, storing some of the longwave radiation emitted by the earth, warming the planet.

Human Impact on the Greenhouse Effect

Excessive pumping of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere due to human activities like burning fossil fuels, leading to more radiation being trapped and increased global temperatures.

Earth’s Radiation Budget

Incoming sunlight is treated differently by different parts of the earth; clouds scatter, absorb, and reflect sunlight, while the ground absorbs and emits radiation.

Color Impacts on Radiation

White surfaces reflect radiation. Black surfaces absorb radiation.