GEOG 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Mie Scattering, Shortwave Radiation, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit
Document Summary
All objects both emit and absorb radiation (this keeps the earth in balance) Some objects are selective absorbers (they only absorb specific wavelengths or radiation) Co2 is and only dissolves long wavelengths from earth. This is the reason for the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases allow shortwave radiation to pass through but they absorb longwave radiation i. e. co2, ch4. The greenhouse effect itself is not a concern, however the enhancement of the greenhouse effect by people is a concern. Adding greenhouse gases results in climate change. Increases in co2 enhance this because co2 in the atmosphere absorbs longwave radiation from the earth. When shortwave (solar) radiation enters the atmosphere, it strikes air molecules which cause the radiation to scatter: air molecules are very small and thus they better scatter shorter wavelengths (blue) than longer ones, mie scattering. The measure of average speed of air molecules: higher speeds correspond to warmer temperatures, warm air is less dense than cold air.
