EARTHSC 2C03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Snowdrift, Vapor Pressure, Sunburn
15 Feb 2017
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Document Summary
The important variables affecting energy and water cycles in bare soils are: Soil texture - porosity, air and water content, thermal properties. Soil moisture - thermal response, sensible and latent heat fluxes: peat soil: Upper thin layer becomes very hot: most heat loss is in form of long-wave emissions and sensible heat. Loss of heat as latent heat flux is negligible. Heat loss from deeper soil layers is negligible. The surface becomes very cold and a strong inversion develops (b) climate: Deserts have a thermally extreme climate, which is due to a lack of water in the atmosphere and the ground. (figure 3. 2, oke, 1987) The upper layer of soil becomes very hot. Large short-wave radiation input 80% of extra-terrestrial radiation. Large short-wave radiation loss because of high albedo: most of heat loss is in the form of long-wave emissions and sensible heat. Net radiation is not very large because of reflection and emission.
