Table of Contents Energy in Earth’s Atmosphere Ms. De Los Rios Science 6 th Grade

1. Climate Interactions Table of Contents Energy in Earth’s Atmosphere Ms. De Los Rios Science 6th Grade

2. Vocabulary 7.2 • Electromagnetic wave- a wave made up of a combination of a changing electric field and a changing magnetic field. • Radiation the transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves (E.W) • Infrared Radiation - E.w with wavelengths that are longer than visible lights but shorter than microwaves. • Ultraviolet radiation-Electromagneticwaves with wavelength shorter than visible light but longer than X-rays. • Scattering-reflection of light in all directions. • Greenhouse Effect- The trapping of heat near a planet’s surface by certain gases in planet’s atmosphere. • Coriolis Effect- The effect of Earth’s rotation on the direction of winds and currents

3. How Does Energy Travel from the Sun Travel to Earth? Visible light Visible light includes all the colors of the rainbow. The different colors you see are the result of different wavelengths. ROY G BIV Nonvisible Radiation The direct transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves is called radiation. Infrared radiation, type of E.W., • wavelengths longer than red light. • It is invisible to humans but can be felt as heat. • The sun also gives off ultraviolet radiation, which is an invisible form of energy with wavelengths shorter than violet light.

4. Energy in Earth’s Atmosphere Radiation From the Sun Energy travels to Earth as electromagnetic waves. What are the types of electromagnetic radiation in the diagram?

5. Mnemonic Device to Memorize the Visible Light Spectrum ROY G BIV • R: red O: orange Y: yellow G: green B: blue I: indigo V: violet

6. How Does Energy Travel from the Sun Travel to Earth? Nearly all the energy in Earth’s atmosphere comes from the sun. This energy travels to Earth as electromagnetic waves • Most of the energy from the sun travels to Earth in the form of visible light and infrared radiation. • A smaller amount arrives as ultraviolet radiation.

7. Electromagnetic Waves A vacuum is a space that contains no air or gas. All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed in a vacuum. All electromagnetic waves have different wavelengths Electromagnetic waves can be classified according to wavelength or distance between waves.

8. What Happens to the Sun’s Energy When it Reaches Earth? Sunlight is: • some of it is absorbed or reflected by the atmosphere before it can reach the surface. • The rest passes through the atmosphere to the surface. • Upper Atmosphere Different wavelengths of radiation are absorbed by different layers in the atmosphere. • Some ultraviolet radiation is absorbed by the ozone layer. • Infrared radiation passes farther before some is absorbed by water vapor and carbon dioxide.

9. Energy in Earth’s Atmosphere Energy in the Atmosphere Some wavelengths reach Earth’s surface. Other wavelengths are completely or partially absorbed in the atmosphere.

10. What Happens to the Sun’s Energy When it Reaches Earth? Troposphere In the troposphere, clouds reflect some sunlight back into space. Dust-sized particles and gases in the atmosphere disperse light in all directions in a process called scattering. Earth’s Surface About 50 percent of the sun’s energy that reaches Earth’s surface is absorbed. The result of this is: It heats land and water.

11. Energy in Earth’s Atmosphere Use the higher percentages below to show a bar graph. Give it a title.

12. Energy in Earth’s Atmosphere Energy at Earth’s Surface Complete each sentence with a word from the Word Bank to learn what is happening to the energy at Earth's surface and in the lower atmosphere.

13. What Happens to the Sun’s Energy When it Reaches Earth? Earth’s Energy Budget • Earth’s surface radiates some energy back into the atmosphere as infrared radiation. • Some travels all the way back into space, but much is absorbed by water vapor, carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere, heating them. The greenhouse effect is when these gases heat in the atmosphere. • These gases hold in a process called The greenhouse effect keeps Earth’s atmosphere at a comfortable temperature. • But scientists have evidence that human activities may be altering this process.

14. Energy in Earth’s Atmosphere Greenhouse Effect The greenhouse effect is a natural heat-trapping process. What is the sequence of events that causes it to occur?

15. How Does the Sun’s Energy affect Global Winds? Energy provided by the sun influences global winds and creates temperature differences among Earth’s air, water, and land. Global winds are created by the unequal heating of Earth’s surface over a large area. Because of Earth’s spherical shape, rays from the sun strike directly at the equator but hit the poles at a lower angle. As a result, temperatures near the poles are much lower than near the equator. The differences between the equator and the two poles produce giant convection currents in the atmosphere. Surface winds blow from the poles toward the equator. Higher in the atmosphere, winds flow from equator to poles. The way Earth’s rotations make winds curve is called the Coriolis effect. Because of the Coriolis effect, global winds in the Northern Hemisphere gradually turn toward the right.

16. Energy in Earth’s Atmosphere Heating of Earth’s Surface The angle of the sun's rays causes temperature differences at Earth's surface. Which areas on Earth receives the most direct light from the sun, and which areas receive the least?

17. Energy in Earth’s Atmosphere The Coriolis Effect The Coriolis effect determines the direction of global winds.

18. How Does the Sun’s Energy affect Global Winds? Land’s Heating • Land heats and cools more rapidly than water. • Also, land can heat to higher temperatures than water can. • Land can also cool to lower temperatures than water can. Heating and cooling of Earth’s land and water directly affect the air temperature above these surfaces. This process helps create winds.

19. Energy in Earth’s Atmosphere Global Wind Belts The Coriolis effect and other factors combine to produce a pattern of wind belts and calm areas around Earth. Match the descriptions of the global winds with their location on the globe.