2.2. The Global Energy Budget Flashcards
Troposphere
The first major layer of Earth’s atmosphere. It is warmer when nearer to Earth but then gets colder towards the Stratosphere. It is 8-20km high.
Stratosphere
The second major layer of Earth’s atmosphere. It is colder at the lower stratosphere, where it is near the Troposphere, but is warmer at high stratosphere.
Solstice
Two times of the year when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky at noon, marked by the longest and shortest days. There are 2 solstices: Winter and Summer.
Equinoxes
Two times of the year where the sun crosses the celestial equator, when day and height are of equal length. This is when the sun shines perpendicular to the equator.
Why is there more long-wave radiation in the North than South?
The South has Antartica, so more there is more albedo from the ice sheets and more radiation is reflected
Why are there 2 peaks for long wave radiation?
There are desserts at the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, so there are no clouds and longs of long wave radiation can escape
Why is there a dip at around the equator for long wave radiation?
There are lots of rain forests at the equator, so more cloud cover and long wave radiation cannot be emitted and escape.
Radiation Balance of the Earth
- Latitude along x-axis - 90 North to 90 South
- Two y-axis, measuring radiation balance in watts / meters squared
- Short-wave solar radiation graph at equator shaped like a mountain - more radiation near equator
- Long-wave Earth radiation higher at the poles, lower near the equator. it has 2 peaks and a dip at equator.
- At equator there is a surplus of radiation
- At poles there are deficits
Inter-tropical Convergence Zone
A band few kilometres wide in which winds from the tropics blow inwards, converge and then rise, forming an area of low-pressure
Air Pressure
Weight of atmosphere gas pressing down on the Earth’s surface
Cold air has high or low pressure
High Pressure
Warm air has high or low pressure
Low Pressure
Isobar
Lines that show pressure
Summer Solstice
The Earth is tilted right. At the summer solstice, the sun shines from the right and shines perpendicular to the tropic of Cancer, so the tropic of Cancer gets the most sunlight. This is during June.
Winter Solstice
The Earth is tilted right. At the Winter solstice, the sun shines from the left and shines perpendicular to the tropic of Capricorn, so the tropic of Capricorn gets the most sunlight. This is during December..