Insolation And Energy

Question 1

Why is there weather ?

Answer 1

Weather and climate are a result of temporal and spatial variability in the fluxes of energy to and from the atmospheric system.

Heat from the sun and movement of air - wind.

Question 2

Name 4 types of energy that are important in the climate system?

Answer 2

Potential
Chemical
Kinetic
Thermal

They all have a role

Question 3

Where does the earths energy primarily come from?

Answer 3

The sun - radiant energy

Question 4

What is a prominence ?

Answer 4

Large / Bright / gaseous feature extending outward from suns surface

Hottest area is white

Question 5

Describe what the sun is

Answer 5

Active ball of gas and plasma

700,000km radius

Temp drops away from core

Rotates -25 days near equator and 36 days near poles

Abundant hydrogen nuclei join together to form helium in centre

Source of electromagnetic radiation

Question 6

What is the surrounding bit of the sun called ?

Answer 6

The corona

Question 7

What is the largest part of the sun called?

Answer 7

Convection xome

Question 8

What zone in the sun is next to the core?

Answer 8

Radiation zone

Question 9

Define electromagnetic radiation

Answer 9

The waves of the electromagnetic field radiating through space carrying radiant energy

Electric and magnetic fields are perpendicularly one another

Question 10

How fast does electromagnetic radiation travel ?

Answer 10

Speed of light

300,000 kms-1

Question 11

What is the wavelength of radiation measured in ?

Answer 11

Micrometers

Millionth of a metre

Um

Question 12

Give examples of electromagnetic radiation

Answer 12

Microwaves

Infrared

Visible light - UV

X rays

Gamma rays

Question 13

Define black body

Answer 13

A surface that absorbs all radiant energy falling on it

They radiate energy at a rate directly proportional to the 4th power of their temperature - stefan BM law

Energy is emitted from a black body across range of wavelengths

Question 14

Give an example of a black body

Answer 14

The sun

Question 15

What is the suns emissivity ?

Answer 15

1

Question 16

Define emissivity

Answer 16

The effectiveness of a material in emitting energy as thermal energy - heat

Question 17

What is the stefan Boltzmann law

Answer 17

E = e o T4

E - energy radiated
e - emissivity 1 for the sun
o - stefan BM constant (5.67x10-8)
T - temperature

Only knowing the temperature of something you can work out how much EM radiation it will emit

Question 18

What is plancks law

Answer 18

Describes the spectral distribution of emitted energy by a black body

Question 19

What is weins law

Answer 19

Black body radiation curve for different temps will peak at different wavelengths

Higher temp = shorter the wavelength

Question 20

What happens to wavelength of black body as the temperature increases

Answer 20

The wavelength decreases - wiens law

Question 21

What is wiens Constant value

Answer 21

2897.79

Question 22

What is UV wavelength

Answer 22

<0.4 um

7%

Question 23

What is visible wavelength

Answer 23

0.4 - 0.7 um

44%

Question 24

What is near infrared wavelength

Answer 24

0.7 - 1.5 um

37%

Question 25

WhT is far infrared radiation ?

Answer 25

1.5> um 12%

Question 26

What is the temp of the sun

Answer 26

~6000 K 5726 degrees C

Question 27

What is the max wavelength of the sun

Answer 27

0.48 um Range - 0-4.0 um

Question 28

What type of radiation does the sun emit

Answer 28

Incoming short radiation

Question 29

What is the temp of the earth

Answer 29

288 K 15 degrees C

Question 30

What is the max wavelength of the earth

Answer 30

10.06 um Range 4- 24 um

Question 31

What is the emissivity of the earth

Answer 31

~0.64

Question 32

What radiation does earth emit ?

Answer 32

Outgoing long wave radiation

Question 33

Define insolation

Answer 33

Exposure to suns rays and the amount of solar radiation reaching a given area Incoming solar radiation

Question 34

Name 4 things insolation is determined by

Answer 34

Angel of suns rays Solar output Sun earth distance Day length

Question 35

How does the angle of the suns rays impact insolation

Answer 35

As area gets larger the light gets dimmer This is why we have seasons Summer - more direct over head Winter - further away at polar regions Short wave radiation increases with; •Decreasing latitude. •Temporal proximity to summer solstice •solar angle in relation to surface slope

Question 36

When is the summer solstice

Answer 36

21 june

Question 37

What is the summer solstice

Answer 37

When the sun travels the longest path through the sky and that day has the most day light Happens twice yearly - winter shortest day of year

Question 38

What is the tilt of the earths axis

Answer 38

23.4 degrees