APES EXAM watersheds-Solar Radiation

Watershed

is an area of land that drains into a body of water, people live here

Steeper slope and flatter surface of watershed

result in more runoff and erosion, surface results in more infiltration

Less Soil Permeability of watersheds

the more runoff in the soil

More Soil Permeability of watersheds

the more infiltration in the soil

Infiltration

Water getting absorbed, we want it to happen

Run-Off

water cannot be absorbed, it flows right by. For example, pavement, concrete.

Vegetation

Plants slow the travel of water, and absorb some of it with their roots (aka more infiltration). Open land sees more runoff and erosion

Ecosystem Services

keep water clean, protect against floods, and support local wildlife and human communitie

Human impacts of Watershed

Humans can create pollutants that, one way or another, enter the bodies of water in our watersheds.

Human impacts of Watershed in Cities

Water run-off can absorb excess nutrients, gas oil, pet poop, dirt, litter, etc that can get into the water

Human impacts of Watershed in Farms

water-run off can absorb bacteria, pesticides, and landfill.

Clearing of vegetation in Watersheds

due to logging, farming, or whatever else increases runoff, and decreases watershed’s ability to catch pollutants

What is water passing through as it travels across a watershed?”

healthy soil and vegetation are good, becausemore infiltration

cities, farms, and “empty” land are bad because more runoff, pickup of pollution, and/or erosion

Troposphere

1st Layer

We exist in this layer, life, terrain, weather. The lowest layer.

Temperature increases, because less earth means less temperature

Stratosphere

2nd Layer

Forms the Ozone Layer

Temperature increases because all the ultraviolet sun radiation is absorbed by the Ozone Layer

Mesosphere

3rd Layer

We see a drop of density of molecules. Decrease in Molecules means things will be more spread out

Temperature decreases, because a drop of density and less molecules means less heat absorption

Thermosphere

4th Layer

Lack of Density, but we see absorption of the sun’s most powerful rays occurs, most of the sun’s energy being absorbed by molecules

Temperature increases because of the absorption of the sun’s most powerful energy

Exosphere

5th Layer

transition from atmosphere to outer space

Rotation (FACTORS THAT EFFECT SOLAR ENERGY)

Earth rotates full 24 hours. As the Earth spins, half of the planet faces the Sun (daylight) while the other half faces away (night). This creates a regular 24-hour cycle where solar panels and plants only receive active sunlight during daylight hours. Rotation makes the Sun appear to move across the sky from east to west. This changes the angle and intensity of sunlight hitting the ground throughout the day, which means fixed solar panels experience fluctuating power generation.

Tilt of Axis (FACTORS THAT EFFECT SOLAR ENERGY)

Earth’s tilt of axis, the northern is titled away and the south is titled toward. Earth’s orbit and position and distance is never changed, just the tilt, which changes the angle and intensity of sunlight, as well as the length of the day. Summer (period of greatest solar radiation) occurs in the Northern Hemisphere when it is tilted toward the sun. Sun rises higher and stays above the horizon longer, rays strike ground most directly (less of an angle)

Atmospheric Conditions (FACTORS THAT EFFECT SOLAR ENERGY)

Earth’s atmosphere affecting how much radiation can reach Earth’s surface. Some sunlight gas is absorbed and some is reflected

Insolation

Defined as the amount of solar energy that reaches a given area. This is affected by the angle (when sunlight can hit direct, there’s more energy over a smaller area), and the amount of atmosphere (the more atmosphere heat has to travel through, the less heat makes it to the surface) Is at its highest at/near the equator.

Albedo

Measures the amount of sunlight reflected by a surface.

High Albedo

Reflects a lot of sunlight when it hits the surface, such as ice

Low Albedo

Doesn’t reflect sunlight, instead absorbs sunlights, such a concrete.

Weather

is the set of short-term atmospheric conditions—typically those occurring over hours or days—for a particular area. (like oh, its 72 degrees today)

Climate

 is an area’s general pattern of atmospheric or weather conditions measured over long periods of time ranging from decades to thousands of years.  (like the hotness in Bay Area)