Temperatur
Heating the atmosphere
Transferral of hea
Conductio
• Energy is transferred by contact from one molecule to the next without the
molecule moving
• It is most effective in solids as the molecules are closest together
• Air is a poor conductor of heat, thus it is only the lowest layers that are
heated through contact with the earth's surface
Convectio
• Energy is transferred by movement. Molecules with lots of energy move
from one place to another
• Heated air expands, becomes light (less dense)and rises
• So the heat is transferred to higher altitude.
• Vertical heat transfer is called convection
• Horizontal heat transfer is called advection.
• Convection only occurs in liquids and gases
Radiatio
• Energy moves through space in the form of waves
• As the earth has a lower temperature than the sun it emits long wave
radiation called terrestrial radiation
• This radiation is absorbed by water vapour and gasses such as carbon
dioxide.
• As there is a greater concentration of water vapour and carbon dioxide
close to the earth’s surface, more absorption occurs here and the air is
warmer
• This is why temperature decreases with altitude.
.
n
n
e
.
t
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
, The sun is the main source of energy for the atmosphere.
The sun’s energy is called INSOLATION
IN- Incoming
SOL- sola
ATION- radiatio
• The earth’s surface is heated and in turn heats the layers above it by
conduction, convection and latent heat
• Although the sun is the main source of heat energy, it is actually the heated
surface of the earth which heats the atmosphere
Heating of the earth- insolatio
• The sun is a medium sized star with a surface temperature of 6000o C and
is approximately 150 million KM from the earth. Solar radiation is
transferred in the form of waves.
• These waves are from crest to crest, this distance is known as its
wavelength
• The hotter the temperature of a radiating body, the shorter the wavelength.
Solar radiation is thus referred to as shortwave radiation
• The amount of solar radiation that reaches the tropopause is called the
solar constant
• However not all solar radiation reaches the earth’s surface, some of it is
depleted.
25%= Re ection
9%
Scattering
6%
Absorption
41% =29%
fl r
.
.
n
n
.
:
.
.
Heating the atmosphere
Transferral of hea
Conductio
• Energy is transferred by contact from one molecule to the next without the
molecule moving
• It is most effective in solids as the molecules are closest together
• Air is a poor conductor of heat, thus it is only the lowest layers that are
heated through contact with the earth's surface
Convectio
• Energy is transferred by movement. Molecules with lots of energy move
from one place to another
• Heated air expands, becomes light (less dense)and rises
• So the heat is transferred to higher altitude.
• Vertical heat transfer is called convection
• Horizontal heat transfer is called advection.
• Convection only occurs in liquids and gases
Radiatio
• Energy moves through space in the form of waves
• As the earth has a lower temperature than the sun it emits long wave
radiation called terrestrial radiation
• This radiation is absorbed by water vapour and gasses such as carbon
dioxide.
• As there is a greater concentration of water vapour and carbon dioxide
close to the earth’s surface, more absorption occurs here and the air is
warmer
• This is why temperature decreases with altitude.
.
n
n
e
.
t
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
, The sun is the main source of energy for the atmosphere.
The sun’s energy is called INSOLATION
IN- Incoming
SOL- sola
ATION- radiatio
• The earth’s surface is heated and in turn heats the layers above it by
conduction, convection and latent heat
• Although the sun is the main source of heat energy, it is actually the heated
surface of the earth which heats the atmosphere
Heating of the earth- insolatio
• The sun is a medium sized star with a surface temperature of 6000o C and
is approximately 150 million KM from the earth. Solar radiation is
transferred in the form of waves.
• These waves are from crest to crest, this distance is known as its
wavelength
• The hotter the temperature of a radiating body, the shorter the wavelength.
Solar radiation is thus referred to as shortwave radiation
• The amount of solar radiation that reaches the tropopause is called the
solar constant
• However not all solar radiation reaches the earth’s surface, some of it is
depleted.
25%= Re ection
9%
Scattering
6%
Absorption
41% =29%
fl r
.
.
n
n
.
:
.
.
