Atmosphere and weather:
Assess the extent to which albedo is the most important factor in determining the diurnal energy
budget:
• Albedo
o Influences all components of the energy budget (eg. Outgoing radiation, absorption)
except incoming solar radiation
o Eg. Snow has the highest albedo, reflecting 95% of radiation
• Cloud cover
o Effects the amount of UV radiation (the main energy input)
o 23% of incoming solar radiation is reflected by clouds and the atmosphere
• Daytime and nighttime
o Subsurface supply
o Amount of energy transferred to the surface, thus, cooling effect
Evaluate the role that greenhouse gases have within the energy budget:
• Greenhouse gases
(incoming short-wave radiation is the main energy input, long wave infrared radiation is radiated
from the Earth)
o Back radiation of 100%
o Absorption of long wave radiation by greenhouse gases
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Evaluate the possible causes and atmospheric impacts of the enhanced greenhouse effect:
• Volcanic activity
o 1991, Mount Pinatubo (Philippines) erupted releasing 17million tonnes of SO2
o Reduce global sunlight by 10% cooling planet by 0.5oC for about a year
• Manufacturing of CFC’s (solvents, aerosol propellants)
o Increasing at 6% per annum
o X10,000 more efficient at trapping heat than CO2
• Increased temperatures but highly variable (eg. Heat waves)
o Global temperatures are 1oC hotter than pre-industrial times
o 20 of the hottest years has occurred in the past 22 years
Present day: human causes > natural causes, impact of human interference is more significant (gases
produced has longer lifetimes)
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To what extent does the distribution of land and sea affect the global distribution of temperature:
• SHC of the sea vs land
o SHC of water is 4.18 joule per kelvin vs land which is usually less than 1 joule per kelvin
o Higher specific heat capacity and is capable of transmitting heat more deeply
Assess the extent to which albedo is the most important factor in determining the diurnal energy
budget:
• Albedo
o Influences all components of the energy budget (eg. Outgoing radiation, absorption)
except incoming solar radiation
o Eg. Snow has the highest albedo, reflecting 95% of radiation
• Cloud cover
o Effects the amount of UV radiation (the main energy input)
o 23% of incoming solar radiation is reflected by clouds and the atmosphere
• Daytime and nighttime
o Subsurface supply
o Amount of energy transferred to the surface, thus, cooling effect
Evaluate the role that greenhouse gases have within the energy budget:
• Greenhouse gases
(incoming short-wave radiation is the main energy input, long wave infrared radiation is radiated
from the Earth)
o Back radiation of 100%
o Absorption of long wave radiation by greenhouse gases
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------
Evaluate the possible causes and atmospheric impacts of the enhanced greenhouse effect:
• Volcanic activity
o 1991, Mount Pinatubo (Philippines) erupted releasing 17million tonnes of SO2
o Reduce global sunlight by 10% cooling planet by 0.5oC for about a year
• Manufacturing of CFC’s (solvents, aerosol propellants)
o Increasing at 6% per annum
o X10,000 more efficient at trapping heat than CO2
• Increased temperatures but highly variable (eg. Heat waves)
o Global temperatures are 1oC hotter than pre-industrial times
o 20 of the hottest years has occurred in the past 22 years
Present day: human causes > natural causes, impact of human interference is more significant (gases
produced has longer lifetimes)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To what extent does the distribution of land and sea affect the global distribution of temperature:
• SHC of the sea vs land
o SHC of water is 4.18 joule per kelvin vs land which is usually less than 1 joule per kelvin
o Higher specific heat capacity and is capable of transmitting heat more deeply
