January 14 lecture

Question 1

What is the Solar Constant?

Answer 1

The average energy flux from the sun at the mean radius of the earth ( 150 million km )

Question 2

Is all the energy that comes to the earth absorbed?

Answer 2

No, some of it is reflected back out due Albedo.

Question 3

What is Albedo?

Answer 3

the proportion of the incident light or radiation that is reflected by a surface, typically that of a planet or moon.

Question 4

What is the Albedo of Earth?

Answer 4

0.30 ( although it varies greatly by location )

Question 5

What is the Solar irradiance that the earth recivies with and without Albedo?

Answer 5

Wthout: 344 W m-2
With: 238 W m-2

Question 6

Where are locations of high albedo?

Answer 6

In the High northen hemispheres

Question 7

Where are locations of low albedo?

Answer 7

Around the tropics (equator)

Question 8

What is the Surface temperature of the earth, as calculated by using solar constants?

Answer 8

it would be 255K or -18C

Question 9

What is the Cause of deference between expected surface temperature and the actual surface temperature?

Answer 9

The greenhouse gas effect.

Question 10

What is the greenhouse gas effect?

Answer 10

It is when gases and particles in our atmosphere trap the incoming radiation from the sun and lock it in.

Question 11

How does the greenhouse gas effect work? ( two things )

Answer 11

• Incoming energy from the sun enters the atmosphere as short wave radiation, and as it passes through the atmosphere it becomes long wave radiation
• When this radiation is reflected from the surface and back out, the long wave radiation has a harder time going through the green house gases and is reflected back..

Question 12

What is the main greenhouse gas?

Answer 12

Water Vapour

Question 13

What is Net Heat Flux?

Answer 13

Net Heat Flux = SW + LW + Sensible + Latent

Question 14

What is SW?

Answer 14

SW – incoming net short wave radiation

Question 15

What is LW

Answer 15

LW – outgoing long wave radiation

Question 16

What is Sensible?

Answer 16

Sensible – Flux of heat due to conduction

Question 17

What is Flux heat due to Conduction/

Answer 17

The direct physical contact between the atmosphere and the ocean leading to energy exchange by conduction.

Question 18

How does Atmosphere to ocean heat conduction work?

Answer 18

Energy is transferred to the cooler (and thus slower) molecules by molecular collisions in the ocean.
This is dependent on the air-sea (or land)
temperature difference and wind-speed

Question 19

What is Latent?

Answer 19

Latent – latent heat exchange

Question 20

What is Latent heat exchange?

Answer 20

When water is evaporated, energy is supplied to the molecules to free them from the strong bonds in liquid
water

Question 21

What happens when water molecules condense to form water droplets?

Answer 21

They release energy in the form of heat to its surroundings.

Question 22

What is latent heat exchange dependent upon?

Answer 22

It is heavily dependent upon temperature

Question 23

How does temperature affect latent heat exchange?

Answer 23

The higher the temperature, the more moisture air can hold and
therefore the greater potential for latent heat release upon
condensation

Question 24

What are the Heat properties of water?

Answer 24

• Has a very high heat capacity

Question 25

How does waters Latent heat affect the ocean?

Answer 25

Waters latent heat has a huge affect on the oceans stroage and transport f heat as well as the climate as a whole

Question 26

In the polar regions how is heat exchanged?

Answer 26

Through latent heat exchange,

Water Cooling in the winter and warming in the summer

Question 27

What does it mean if the polar region is dominated by latent heat exchange?

Answer 27

Means that there is very little change in temperature over the course of the year

Question 28

What does the high latent heat of vaporization affect?

Answer 28

The transport of heat in the atmosphere.

Question 29

Hows dose evaporation in the tropics affect the heat at the polar regions?

Answer 29

Heat is added to the tropics, which warms theater and leads to evaporation. this heat is stored in the water vapor molecules, which are blow to higher latitudes, where they condense into rain.

Thus the heat in those water molecules is released to the atmosphere, warming the higher latitudes.

Question 30

Is solar radiation evenly distributed across the earth? Why?

Answer 30

No, There is a net surplus of radiation on the tropics and is deflected at high latitudes.

Question 31

Due to how radiation is distributed across the earth, how is heat transported?

Answer 31

transport of heat
by the oceans and atmosphere
from the equatorial regions to
the poles

Question 32

What is the main driving force behind oceanic and atmospheric circulation?

Answer 32

The redistribution of heat from the equator to the poles.

Question 33

What is the reason behind why the equator has a net radiation gain and the poles do not? ( 3 things )

Answer 33

1) Angle of impact of solar radiation
2) Earths surface area
3) Atmospheric path length

Question 34

What is Albedo? what does it measure?

Answer 34

This value measures the ratio of reflected incoming radiation.

Question 35

What are the five things that mainly control ocean surface water properties?

Answer 35

• Solar radiation
• Transfer of heat and water with the atmosphere
• Ocean currents
• Vertical mixing
• runoff