How Does Heat Energy Travel and Insolation

1. How Does Heat Energy Travel and Insolation FILL-IN NOTES

2. Worksheet • Insolation = INcoming SOLar RadiATION (sunlight) • Angle of Insolation: Angle of the sun above the horizon • Duration of Insolation: Length of time from sunrise to sunset

3. Absorption of Insolation: Taking in of sunlight • Reflection of Insolation: Process in which energy waves bounce off a surface or interface/boundary • Terrestrial Radiation: the longer infrared heat waves radiated by Earth

4. The strength of insolation depends on: • angle of insolation • duration of insolation • type of surface the insolation strikes • The noon-time sun has the greatest angle of insolation

5. In the N Hemisphere the lowest noontime angle of insolation is reached at the winter solstice • Vertical ray: sunlight that strikes Earth’s surface at an angle of 90 degrees, which occurs every day at noon somewhere in the tropics

6. Duration of insolation • As the angle of insolation and the duration of insolation increases, temperatures at Earth’s surface increases • Duration of insolation varies greatly with latitude

8. Absorption of Insolation by the Atmosphere (in notes) • Earth absorbs most of the sunlight that falls on it • Ozone and other gases in the upper atmosphere absorb high-energy radiation, such as X rays and gamma rays

9. Long-wave radiation, such as infrared, is absorbed by water and carbon dioxide • Some absorbed energy is changed into heat waves that reradiate back into the atmosphere

11. El Nino • Under normal conditions in the Pacific, water moves upward from deep ocean currents along western S.A. • This cold water is rich in oxygen and nutrients

12. When there is less upward movement and the warmer surface is not as productive, there are less fish/plants • Usually happens around Christmas • It can create extra rainfall in the Eastern Pacific and droughts in the Western Pacific

13. El Nino shows the strong influence of oceans on the atmosphere

14. El Nino: A warming event that is caused by warm ocean currents that result in major climatic consequences around the world

15. La Nina: Exceptionally cold water in the Pacific Ocean that affects worldwide climate • Global warming: Since the early 1980s, there has been a trend of rising temperatures

18. A Video to Explain It El Nino

19. Reflection of Insolation • Clouds reflect roughly half of the light falling on them • Ice and snow reflect a large amount of insolation and absorb very little

20. Black road surfaces generally absorb over 90% of the solar energy • Calm water is a good reflector when the sun is low, but absorbs most of the sunlight when the sun is high in the sky

21. Terrestrial radiation • Energy waves sent back into space from Earth’s surface are longer in wavelength than energy waves in the range of visible light emitted from the sun • Longer infrared heat waves are absorbed by gases such as CO2 and water vapor

22. This traps the heat and is known as the greenhouse effect • Without the greenhouse effect, Earth would be too cold for most familiar forms of life • Too much greenhouse effect can make it too hot

23. Greenhouse effect • We are adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere by cutting down forests, burning fossil fuels, and increasing methane amounts (by-product of petroleum and decaying organic matter)

25. Insolation-Temperature lag • A time lag exists between the time of greatest intensity of insolation and the highest air temperature • This occurs because insolation energy is first absorbed by Earth’s surface and then re-radiated as heat energy that warms the air • Lag means delay

26. At noon- incoming radiation reaches a max, and the ground continues to absorb energy for 2-3 more hours than it radiates • Once Earth radiates more than it absorbs from the sun, Earth cools • The daily high temp. usually happens around 2-3 pm

27. Videos • Seasons –crash course • The Greenhouse Effect