Energy Balance/Budget of Earth & Greenhouse effect

WE R COOKING WE R NOT GETTING COOKED On tHIS NEXT EXAM

Weather

Short-term/Present state of atmospheric conditions

Climate

Long-term averages of weather

What are climate patterns mostly determined by?

Energy (1st and 2nd law of thermodynamics)

As the energy flows, coming into and leaving Earth, the temperature has to change with it. What happens if more energy is leaving than coming in, and vice versa?

More in than out = getting warmer

More out than in = getting colder

Electromagnetic radiation (EMR)

A form of energy that travels in waves

Everything emits EMR

What type of wavelength does high energy have?

Shortwave length

What type of wavelength does low energy have?

Long wavelength

What do wavelengths typically depend on?

Temperature

The sun is very hot, what does it emit?

Shortwave radiation (UV, visible light)

What about other objects on Earth (typically much cooler)? What do they emit?

Longwave radiation (infrared)

Incoming solar shortwave radiation can be?

Absorbed or Reflected

Incoming solar radiation from the sun can be reflected by?

atmosphere/clouds and the Earth

Albedo

Percentage of sunlight reflected

High albedo

More reflection, less absorption

What happens if radiation is absorbed?

Earth absorbs shortwave radiation from the sun, warms up, and then re-emits energy

What are the 3 main forms that Earth emits energy in?

Infrared longwave radiation, Sensible heat, and Latent heat

Infrared Longwave Radiation

This is majority of Earth’s outgoing energy

Sensibile heat

Direct heat transfer from Earth’s surface to air above

Latent Heat

Energy used to make water vapor

Heat is stored in water vapor, released when it turns back into liquid (eg. precip)

What is the greenhouse effect?

Atmospheric absorption of longwave radiation

Atmospheric mostly transmit shortwave, and mostly absorbed

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) absorb

Re-radiate back to Earth

What would the Earth’s average temperature be with no greenhouse effect?

18 degrees Fahrenheit

What does the atmosphere mostly transmit?

Shortwave Radiation

What does the atmosphere absorb?

Longwave Radiation