GEOG 2050 Chapter : Chapter 4 Geog Notes
Document Summary
Solar radiation varies: output from the sun, distance of earth from sun, daily, seasonally, latitudes. Atmosphere functions as a filter and absorbs (ionosphere) gamma rays, x- rays, and (ozonosphere) uv. Energy pathways: shortwave energy from the sun. (mostly visible, but can be gamma rays all the way to infrared. ) Energy and how much it"s coming in over a particular area. Contours with numbers in it to show what the energy distribution is like. Right along the equator, there is less energy coming in at the earth"s surface. Highest amounts of energy is coming in at subtropics. Earth"s albedo: -31%. (negative numbers equals energy lost to space. ) Insolation in the atmosphere encounters gases, dust, clouds, and smoke. ~50% of insolation makes it to the earth"s surface. These particles can either: scatter, absorb, reflect, refract. Scattering: occurs when insolation is not absorbed, but is bounced in all directions. Scatter agents=dust, pollutants, ice, cloud droplets, and water vapor.
