2.1 Diurnal Energy Budgets

Question 1

What is the Troposphere?

Answer 1

The zone where the most weather processes take place

Question 2

How high up is the troposphere?

Answer 2

2Km High up from sea level

Question 3

What do weather and climate have in common?

Answer 3

Weather and Climate are both a measure (over 30 years) of the condition of the atmosphere.

Question 4

What separate weather and climate?

Answer 4

• Weather is a in the short term
• Climate is in the long term

Question 5

What does diurnal mean?

Answer 5

Day and Night, an 24 hour period

Question 6

What does energy budgets mean?

Answer 6

Reference to the amount of energy entering and leaving

Question 7

What are the 6 components of the daytime energy budget?

Answer 7

• Incoming solar radiation (insolation)
• Reflected solar radiation
• Surface absorption
• Sensible heat transfer
• Long wave radiation
• Latent heat transfer

Question 8

Define incoming solar radiation (Insolation)

Answer 8

The amount of solar energy reaching Earth’s surface

Question 9

How does incoming solar radiation (Insolation) vary from place to place?

Answer 9

• Sun’s angle
• time of day, season
• latitude
• atmospheric conditions

Question 10

Define reflected solar radiation?

Answer 10

The portion of incoming solar energy that bounces off Earth’s surface or atmosphere rather than being absorbed

Question 11

How does reflected solar radiation vary from place to place?

Answer 11

The colour of material

Question 12

Define surface absorption

Answer 12

Reference to the amount of solar radiation that is absorbed by a surface after it has been reflected

Question 13

How does surface absorption vary from place to place?

Answer 13

• Conductivity
• Albedo percentage

Question 14

Define sensible heat transfer

Answer 14

Reference to the exchange of heat between a surface and air or another medium that results in a temperature change

Question 15

How does sensible heat transfer vary from place to place?

Answer 15

• Climate and temperature
• Surface type

Question 16

Define long wave radiation

Answer 16

Reference to infrared radiation emitted by Earth’s surface into the atmosphere

Question 17

How does long wave radiation vary from place to place?

Answer 17

• Land use
• Humidity
• Cloud cover
• Surface temperature

Question 18

Define latent heat transfer

Answer 18

The energy exchanged during the phase changes of a substance

Question 19

How does latent heat transfer vary from place to place?

Answer 19

• Temperature
• Humidity

Question 20

What are the 4 component of the night time energy budget? (3 less than during the day)

Answer 20

• Long wave radiation
• Latent heat transfer
• Absorbed energy returned to Earth
• Sensible heat transfer

Question 21

What is albedo?

Answer 21

A measure of the reflectivity of a surface?

Question 22

How do light and dark colours affect albedo?

Answer 22

• Light colours means high albedo
• dark colours means low albedo

Question 23

In general, what is the albedo of water compared to land

Answer 23

The albedo of water is lower than solid land

Question 24

Why does water have different albedo at different times?

Answer 24

The reflectivity of the water can change

Question 25

Why does calm water have a higher albedo than rough water?

Answer 25

With rough water the light rays are reflected in all directions, including back into the water.

Question 26

How does the presence and absence of clouds affect the diurnal temperature range in each? (rainforest and desert)

Answer 26

In a desert with less clouds, the diurnal range is larger however in a rainforest with lots of clouds the diurnal range is smaller

Question 27

Why does the presence and absence of clouds affect the diurnal temperature range in each?

Answer 27

Clouds trap long-wave radiation during the night, leading to warmer nights. During the day, clear skies allow more heat to escape at night, resulting in cooler nights