Ch. 4 Insolation and Energy Balance

Without greenhouse gases in the atmosphere what would be the Earth's temperature?

0 F

How much is the incoming solar radiation

341.3 W/m2

The reflectivity of a surface is known as

albedo

What is the Earth's average albedo {19}{20}

31%

Based on the figure, which of the following surfaces has the highest albedo?

fresh snow

Earth's sky is blue because

there is more scattering of the shorter wavelengths of the visible bandwidth.

A mirage is an example of which radiation-matter interaction?

refraction

Based on the figure the warmest time of day is usually {14}

late afternoon

Which of the following is correctly matched?

insolation = shortwave radiation = UV, visible, and near infrared

When water is transformed from a gas into a liquid,

latent heat is released from the gas.

The greenhouse effect is caused by

the atmosphere's allowing shortwave radiation to pass through while absorbing longwave radiation.

Which two gases are primarily responsible for the greenhouse effect because of their ability to absorb infrared energy?

water vapor and carbon dioxide