GEOG 1030 Lecture 9: THE EARTH’S GLOBAL ENERGY BALANCE
10 May 2016
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Document Summary
The sun powers the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, and the biosphere: only the lithosphere is powered without the sun"s energy. The earth receives energy from the sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation o. Electromagnetic radiation is a wave form of energy radiated by any substance possessing internal energy; it travels through space at the speed of light: occurs across a wide range of wavelengths. A wavelength is the measured distance separating one wave crest from the next wave crest. It defines the entire range of wavelengths for all energy. The shortest wave lengths at one end of the spectrum are gamma rays and x-rays, which exhibit high-energy states o. The middle of the spectrum - shortwave radiation - includes ultraviolet light, the visible light spectrum, and near-and shortwave-infrared radiation o. Longwave radiation includes a portion of infrared radiation, as well as microwaves, radar and wavelengths conventionally associated with communication transmissions.
