EARTHSC 2GG3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Evaporation, Shortwave Radiation, Carbon Cycle
Document Summary
Sunlight is short-wave radiation that passes easily through the atmosphere and heats up the earth"s surface. Heat and other long-wave radiation produced at surface then heats up water and gases in atmosphere: clouds absorb heat at night, different types of clouds have different effects at night. Greenhouse effect depends on effectiveness in blocking outgoing long-wave radiation (heat) and abundance in atmosphere. 50% of radiation is absorbed by surface of the planet. Main percentage of radiation is focused at the equator. The greenhouse effect: some of the infrared radiation passes through the atmosphere but most is absorbed and re-emitted in all directions by greenhouse gas molecules and clouds this warms the earth"s surface and the lower atmosphere. Water vapor is the most important greenhouse gas. Carbon cycle: the exchange of carbon between the atmosphere, oceans, biosphere and rocks. Human activities have been adding to co2 to atmosphere since the industrial.