Sun as the Main Source of Energy
Earth's Distance
149 597 870 700 meters away from the sun.
Albedo
The ability of a material to reflect light
A high albedo means that a material can reflect light more than a material with low
albedo.
Black surfaces have low albedo since it absorbs more sunlight and its associated heat
than the light colored surfaces.
Albedo can be measured on scale of 0 to 1.
Values closer to 0 means all that material absorbs all the light while a value of 1 means
that a material reflects all the light.
Uses of Solar Energy
Warming of Earth's surface
Photosynthesis
A process that involves the capture and use of the sun's energy to create biological
compounds, comes into place.
Primary source of energy
Earth's Energy Budget
Keeping energy budget ensures that the average temperature on Earth remains stable
and that life continues to exists.
30% of the solar energy that reaches the surface of Earth is reflected back to space by
the clouds, atmosphere, and light-colored areas (deserts and areas covered with ice
and snow).
The remaining 70% of the solar energy is absorbed by the atmosphere, land, and
oceans.
Energy in should always equal to energy out.
Factors Affecting Earth's Energy Budget
Amount of Light-Colored Areas
Enable the reflection of solar energy.
Therefore, when the size of these areas is altered, then the energy balance is also
affected.
Amount of Radiation
Received by Earth from the sun changes.
, Earth's Axial Tilt
Affects the amount of radiation coming from the Sun.
The orientation of Earth toward the sun changes due to the 23.5°vertical tilt of its axis,
causing the position of the sun across the sky to wander at about 47°
Isolation is the amount of solar radiation that reaches a given area.
If the sun is located directly overhead, then the intensity of isolation is higher as
compared when the sun's altitude across the sky is about 45°wherein the sun's rays are
spread over a larger area.
Greenhouse Gases
Such as methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, water vapor, and carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.
These gases trap solar energy which should have been reflected back to space.
44% of the radiant energy emitted by the sun is in the form of visible light;
49% is in the form of near-infrared, far-infrared, microwave, and radio waves;
And the remaining 7% accounts for ultraviolet radiation.
Earth's Atmosphere
Layers of the Atmosphere
Troposphere
The layer closest to the Earth.
"tropos" means change
Called such because of the persistently changing weather in this layer of the
atmosphere.
Thickness varies depending on your location on Earth, but the range is between 5 and 5
miles (8 and 14km).
Temperature gets cooler as you go higher in the atmosphere.
It also regulates weather and climate.
High atmospheric pressure which allows high concentrations of oxygen ideal for life.
Earth's Distance
149 597 870 700 meters away from the sun.
Albedo
The ability of a material to reflect light
A high albedo means that a material can reflect light more than a material with low
albedo.
Black surfaces have low albedo since it absorbs more sunlight and its associated heat
than the light colored surfaces.
Albedo can be measured on scale of 0 to 1.
Values closer to 0 means all that material absorbs all the light while a value of 1 means
that a material reflects all the light.
Uses of Solar Energy
Warming of Earth's surface
Photosynthesis
A process that involves the capture and use of the sun's energy to create biological
compounds, comes into place.
Primary source of energy
Earth's Energy Budget
Keeping energy budget ensures that the average temperature on Earth remains stable
and that life continues to exists.
30% of the solar energy that reaches the surface of Earth is reflected back to space by
the clouds, atmosphere, and light-colored areas (deserts and areas covered with ice
and snow).
The remaining 70% of the solar energy is absorbed by the atmosphere, land, and
oceans.
Energy in should always equal to energy out.
Factors Affecting Earth's Energy Budget
Amount of Light-Colored Areas
Enable the reflection of solar energy.
Therefore, when the size of these areas is altered, then the energy balance is also
affected.
Amount of Radiation
Received by Earth from the sun changes.
, Earth's Axial Tilt
Affects the amount of radiation coming from the Sun.
The orientation of Earth toward the sun changes due to the 23.5°vertical tilt of its axis,
causing the position of the sun across the sky to wander at about 47°
Isolation is the amount of solar radiation that reaches a given area.
If the sun is located directly overhead, then the intensity of isolation is higher as
compared when the sun's altitude across the sky is about 45°wherein the sun's rays are
spread over a larger area.
Greenhouse Gases
Such as methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, water vapor, and carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.
These gases trap solar energy which should have been reflected back to space.
44% of the radiant energy emitted by the sun is in the form of visible light;
49% is in the form of near-infrared, far-infrared, microwave, and radio waves;
And the remaining 7% accounts for ultraviolet radiation.
Earth's Atmosphere
Layers of the Atmosphere
Troposphere
The layer closest to the Earth.
"tropos" means change
Called such because of the persistently changing weather in this layer of the
atmosphere.
Thickness varies depending on your location on Earth, but the range is between 5 and 5
miles (8 and 14km).
Temperature gets cooler as you go higher in the atmosphere.
It also regulates weather and climate.
High atmospheric pressure which allows high concentrations of oxygen ideal for life.
