What are two ways the atmosphere influences how much solar radiation reaches the earth?
About 23 percent of incoming solar energy is absorbed in the atmosphere by water vapor, dust, and ozone, and 48 percent passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed by the surface. Thus, about 71 percent of the total incoming solar energy is absorbed by the Earth system.
How does reflection of solar radiation from Earth’s surface add to the effects of uneven solar heating in creating a pole to equator heat imbalance?
How does reflection of solar radiation from Earth’s surface add to the effects of uneven solar heating in creating a pole-to-equator heat imbalance? -The overall effect of these albedo differences is to increase the solar heating imbalance between the poles and the tropics.
What are the five processes that determine climate?
The climate of any particular place is influenced by a host of interacting factors. These include latitude, elevation, nearby water, ocean currents, topography, vegetation, and prevailing winds.
Why is solar radiation an important element?
Solar radiation provides heat, light, and energy necessary for all living organisms. Infrared radiation supplies heat to all habitats, on land and in the water 24. Without solar radiation, Earth’s surface would be about 32°C colder 25. Solar radiation provides the necessary heat and light for life on Earth.
How does solar radiation affect the earth?
The solar radiation, which reaches the earth’s surface, warms the surface. However, the earth’s average temperature does not change, because the earth in turn radiates energy to the atmosphere and to space. The outgoing radiation is at the earth’s temperature and has its maximum in the infrared region of the spectrum.
What are the three main factors that influence climate?
What are the three factors that affect temperature? latitude, altitude, distance from oceans and lakes.
How does radiation leaving the Earth vary from solar radiation received by the Earth?
Of the roughly 56% of the incoming solar radiation making it through the atmosphere to Earth’s surface, about 6% gets reflected by the surface and 50% is absorbed at the surface.
What makes up the climate system?
Its components The climate system, as defined in this Report, is an interactive system consisting of five major components: the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the cryosphere, the land surface and the biosphere, forced or influenced by various external forcing mechanisms, the most important of which is the Sun (see Figure …