EARTHSC 2C03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Thermal Diffusivity, Shortwave Radiation, Thermal Energy
23 Nov 2016
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Document Summary
The four energy forms that exist in the earth- atmosphere system :- The three ways in which energy is transferred within the earth-atmosphere system:- 1)radiation:- the energy is transferred by photons and radiation arises from rapid oscillations of electromagnetic fields. It is also characterised by wavelength or frequency. 2)conduction:- the energy is transferred through the collision of rapidly moving particles or by direct contact with the surface. 3)convection:- its a vertical transfer of energy and mass through interchange in air masses . eddies transport energy and mass through turbulent motion. The net radiation of earths" surface is negative at night because there is no incoming shortwave radiation ( energy from the sun) and net longwave radiation is dominated by the outgoing terrestrial longwave flux. So since there is a lot of outgoing longwave radiation there is a net loss in energy at night. Part b - soil heat storage and flow.
