ATOC 1060 Essay Example

ATOC 1060 Essay Example ATOC 1060 Paper ATOC 1060 Paper The term albedo refers to the absorption of radiation False Without an atmosphere, the earths temperature would be a frigid -100 degrees Celsius False Over the past 400,000 years, CO2 abundances in Earths atmosphere have varied in correlation with Earths temperature True Molecules are called greenhouse gases if they Absorb infrared radiation, but are transparent to visible light. Global warming and anthropogenic climate change are terms that refer to the same environmental issue, specifically the alteration of Earths surface temperature and climate due to release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere by human activities. T or F? True Greenhouse gases are important because they absorb visible radiation in the earths atmosphere False CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas in the earths atmosphere False As the temperature of a blackbody object increases, radiation from that object shifts to shorter wavelengths and becomes more intense Climate scientists believe that due to human activities earth is changing faster now than it has in the past. True The most abundant gas in the earths atmosphere is Nitrogen The ozone hole is a good example of a change in Earths atmosphere that is due mainly to natural causes. True The energy flux emitted by a blackbody object goes as The temperature raised to the fourth power Based on the inverse square law an object that is twice as far from the sun as the earth recieves______ as much solar flux that the earth. 1/4 The suns emission consists of primarily of infrared light, with some ultraviolet Latent heat refers to energy gained or lost when a substance such as water changes phases True The earths temperature has increase by about ___ over the last century .8 degrees C The region of the infrared spectrum between 8 microns and 13 microns is referred to as the window region because at these wavelengths CO2 and H2O are poor absorbers, so light can escape more readily to space There is a radiation deficit in the polar regions(that is less incoming solar radiation that outgoing thermal radiation) because ____? Heat is transfered poleward by circulations of the atmosphere and oceans The effect of clouds on earths radiation budget is easy to calculate quantitatively because all clouds reflect light to space, increasing the albedo False The increase in ice coverage at high latitudes with decreasing global temperatures is an example of positive feedback True 233k = ____ *C -40*C The magnitude of Earths greenhouse effect is about 33* Celsius Which of the following gases is not an important greenshouse gas? N2O Nitrous Oxide CC13F Freon 11 CH4 Methane Ar Argon H20 Water Vapor Ar Argon 273k = ___*C 0*C 300k =___*C 27*C 0k=___*C -273*C 373k=___*C 100*C What are the approximate minimum and maximum temperatures of Earths troposphere? Minimum 215 KMaximum 285 K 32*F=___*C 0*C 212*F=___*C 100*C 100*F=____*C 37.8*C High temperatures in the earths stratosphere at 50 km are due primarily to what? absorption of solar UV radiation by ozone 0*F=___*C -17.8*c 75*F=___*C 23.9*C Convection refers to what? the transport of heat by motions of a fluid (liquid or gas) The pressure of Earths atmosphere decreses/increases by a factor of what? decreases by a factor of 10 for every 16 km increase in altitude throughout most of the atmosphere For every 100 units of solar radiation incident on Earth, 30 units are reflected directly back to space, and 70 units are radiated to space as outgoing infrared radiation low thick clouds do what? reflect radiation back to space What is the actual value of incident radiation to the earths system? The solar constant at earth = 1370 W/m^2 mulitiplied by the projected are on the earth (R^2) High, thin clouds do what? trap infrared radiation near the surface Because water is a greenhouse gas, the increasing evaporation of water with warmer temperatures is an example of positive feedback on Earths surface temperature. True Pressure difference in the atmosphere are typically related to the distribution of surface temps? (T/F) True At norther mid-latitudes, even though the coriolis effect acts to turn a moving parcel of air to the right of the direction of motion an air parcel will always move directly from a region of high pressure to one of lower  pressure  in order to equalize the pressure. (T/F) False Surface air at the equator is warmer than surface air in the polar regions because the equator is closer to the sun than are the polar regions.   (T/F) False An abundance of _________, a greenhouse gas have been increasing in the atmosphere for many decades. Carbon dioxide C02 As ocean warms, sea ice will ____ As sea ice ____s, more _____ is absorbed in the ocean. This causes the warmer water.    Is this positive or negative feedback? melt, melts, sunlight Positive What is a blackbody object? One that can absorb and emit electromagnetic radiation at all wavelengths with equal efficiency.   Does not prefer some wavelengths over others. A blackbody radiates a total energy of? T^4 Energy balance outgoing radiation = incoming radiation absorbed by earth = outgoing infrared radiation Effective radiating temperature the temperature that an object would need to be radiating at in order to be in balance with the incoming absorbed solar radiation See Fig 3.1 Earths atmosphere today Nitrogen Oxygen Argon Water Vapor Carbon dioxide * Give % by volume Nitrogen 78%Oxygen 21%Argon .9%Water Vapor .00001%Carbon Dioxide .037% Greenhouse gases Water vaporCarbon dioxideMethaneNitrous oxideozonefreon -11freon -12 What are the most important absorbers in the atmosphere Water vapor and carbon dioxide What do low, thick clouds do with radiation? get warm radiation from the thin clouds and get trapped What do high, thin clouds do with radiation? allow radiation to go through them and warms the earth For an atmosphere that is in radiative balance (incoming = outgoing), how does temperature chance with height? Add more layers, and the surface gets even warmer because the layer above it is warmed by the layer above it etc Water vapor, a greenhouse gas, represents what kind of feedback in the Earth system? positive Other than radiation, what forms of heat transfer are important in the atmosphere? convection, latent heat, and conduction Differential heating is due to what? The curvature of the earth.  -See Fig 4.1 Where does solar energy go? (Earths budget) 45 units absorbed by surface25 units absorbed by clouds and gases 25 units reflected by clouds and gases 5 units reflected by the surface Of 133 energy units absorbed by the earths surface, how many units evaporate water and how many units produce convection? 24 units evaporate water and 5 units produce convection The earth system receives 99% of its heat in the form of _____ from the sun primarily in the visible and ______ radiation, near-IR Earths surface maintains thermal balance by convection of _____ ____ _____, air carrying heat upward, by _________ __________ and by radiating the remainder upward. warm, less denseevaporating water (latent heat) Of the 104 units of energy radiated by the suface, __ units escape to space through windows in the ________ spectrum of the atmosphere 4, infrared In the tropics there is more ______ solar radiation than _______ solar radiation. incoming, outgoing = a surplus of solar radiation In the polar regions, ___ solar radiation is received than ______ radiation is emitted. less, thermal = deficit of solar radiation The earths temperature has increased about____ over the last century .8 Degrees Celcius Based on the inverse square law, an object that is twice as far from the sun as the earth receives one-fourth as much solar flux than the earth Global warming and ______________ climate change refer to the same environmental issue. That the alteration of the earths temperature and climate is due to the release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere by human activities. Anthropogenic An albedo of 1 means what pure reflection An albedo of 0 means what pure absorption (blackbody) Over the past 400,000 years _____ abundances in earths atmosphere have varied in correlation with the earths temperature C02 molecules are called greenhouse gases if they absorb infrared radiation, but are transparent to visible light What is the primary greenhouse gas in the earths atmoshere water vapor as the temperature of a blackbody object increases, radiation from that object shifts to shorter wavelengths and become more intense what is the most abundant gas in the earths atmosphere nitrogen The energy flux emitted by a blackbody object goes as The temperature raised to the fourth power Of the 100 units of solar radiation that are incoming at the top of earths atmosphere, ____ units are absorbed by earths surface, ______ units are absorbed by the atmosphere, ____ are reflected by the atmosphere back to space, and ____ are reflected by the surface. 45,25,25,5 Of the ____ units of thermal (infrared) energy radiated by earths surface, ___ units escape directly to space and ___ units are absorbed by the atmosphere 104, 4, 100 The ice coverage at high latitudes with decreasing global temperatures is an example of ______ feedback positive The increase of temperature of the earth will cause an increase in water vapor into the earths atmosphere, increasing the albedo, and then decreasing the temperature. This is an example of what kind of feedback negative The atmosphere is composed of what units that come from the heating of the atmosphere by gases and clouds (solar energy absorbed by atmosphere), units that come from the heating of the atmosphere by the greenhouse effect, and units that are from the heating of the atmosphere due to thermals and evaporation. What are the approximate min and max temperatures of earths troposphere min 215K max 285K What would the temperature of the earth be if there wasnt an atmosphere 255K The magnitude of earths greenhouse effect is about 33* celcius for every 100 units of solar radiation incident on the earth 30 units are reflected directly back to space, and 70 units are radiated to space as outgoing infrared radiation. Pressure differences in the earths atmosphere are typically related to the distribution of surface temperatures True The region of the infrared spectrum between 8 microns and 13 microns is referred to as the window region because at these wavelengths C02 and H20 are poor absorber, so light can escape more readily to space The suns emission consists of primarily of visible and infrared light, with some ultra violet There is less incoming solar radiation than outgoing thermal radion in the polar region, causing a radiation deficit because heat is transferred poleward by circulations of the atmosphere and oceans What is the actual value of 100 units of incident radiation The solar constant at earth multiplied by the projected area of earth high temperatures in the earths stratosphere at 50 km are due primarily to absorption of solar UV radiation by ozone True How many units of thermal energy come from the greenhouse effect 88 units (note larger than the units of solar radiation that the earth absorbs from the sun) Are there more units of latent heat or convection in earths budget? latent heat (evaporation) the pressure of earths atmosphere decreases by a factor of 10 for every 16 km increase in altitude reflection albedo absorption warms object Objects that are _____ absorb better than other objects black Why is it colder at the poles? Because at the equator, it is receiving direct sunlight whereas at the poles, it is receiving indirect sunlight What does Weins law tell us about BB wavelengths Max Wavelenth = 2898/T The maximum flux that a BB can reach at a certain wavelength Area beneath the curve = sigmaT^4 = total flux Magnetic spectrum and wavelengths ____________________________ UV Visible IR UV has small, high energy wavelengths IR was large, low energy wavelengths Greenhouse gases absorb IR radiation Anthropogenic Human induced changes in the atmosphere atmosphere thin envelope of gases that surround the earth hydrosphere composed of variousreservoirsof water including ice chlorofluorocarbon CFCs, Synthetic compounds containing chlorine, fluorine and carbon. Caused the ozone hole Stratosphere Absorbs UV rays and is warmer that the atmosphere below it because of it. (Ozone) negative feedback loop diminish the effects of disturbances Positive feedback loops; amplify the effects of disturbances wavelength the distance between two adjacent crests frequency the number of crests that pass a fixed point in a second. electromagnetic spectrum wavelength:(SMLG) UVVisibleIR Energy:(HL) UVVis.IR flux the amount of energy in an electromagnetic wave that passesperpendicularlythrough a unit surface area per unit time inverse square law the rate at which the solar flux decreases with increasing distance (1/r^2) Blackbody something that emits (or absorbs) electromagnetic radiation with 100%efficiencyat all wave lengths wiens law the flux of radiation emitted by a blackbody reaches itspeakwavelengthat delta max. or (2898/T) (Sun @visible wavelength, earth @ IR) Stefan-Boltzmann Law the energy flux emitted by a blackbody (T^4) 3 most abundant gases in the atmosphere Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon 4 most abundant greenhouse gases water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, are nitrous oxide convection a process in which heat energy is transported by themotionsof a fluid (boiling water) conduction the transfer of heat energy by direct contact between molecules Latent Heat the heat energyreleasedor absorbed during thetransitionfrom one phase to another Cirrus Clouds High level clouds that trap in heat Stratus clouds low level thick clouds that reflect incoming radiation back out into space Of 100 units of incoming solar radiation approx. how many are absorbed by earths surface? 45 or about half Air moves over earths surfaces because there are ___________ differences in pressure. Air also moves __________ because it is either forced to move mechanically or because there are changes in _________. horizontally, vertically, buoyancy Warmer air has a lower/higher density than cooler air lower Air tends to move from an area of ____ pressure, to an area of _____ pressure, until the two pressures are equalized. higher, lower If an air mass is heated until its density is lower than that of its surrounds, the lower-density air will rise. This phenomenon is a form of _________ Convection If an air mass is cooled until its density is higher than that of the underlying air, it will sink. This is referred to as ________ subsidence The incoming solar energy varies with _____ and with ______ whereas the outgoing terrestrial radiation depends on the temperature of the surface an atmosphere at each location. latitude, season The maximum solar absorption is found in the ____ and the available solar energy decreases rapidly as we move toward the _____ tropics, poles The tropic air near the surface rises, creating a ___-pressure region low The merging of air masses that are moving inward toward a low-pressure region is called _____. The air masses that meet at the tropics and rise make up the _________________ convergence, Intertropical convergence zone The air that rises in the ITCZ is forced to diverge _________ poleward divergence refers to the movement of air outward from a region in the atmosphere The poleward moving air subsides at about ___ N and ____ S, replacing air that is moving equatorward at the surface 30,30 At 30* N and 30* S, the air warms as it sinks, which prevents ______ and _____ from forming. condensation, clouds