ENVIRSC 1A03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Evaporation, Rayleigh Scattering, Emissivity
8 Nov 2015
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Env sci 1a03 podcast 3: the earth"s warmth is provided by the sun, which has the most heat in its core. Absorption: uv radiation is absorbed by the ozone, and infared is absorbed by carbon dioxide and water vapour. Longwave radiation emitted by earth is mainly absorbed by carbon dioxide and water vapour in the atmosphere. Solar constant: only a fraction of the radiation emitted from the sun hits earth, rays that hit the atmosphere at a perpendicular rate remains fairly constant. The rate that it hits is the solar constant. Absorption: radiation can be absorbed in the atmosphere from particles or gases. It is then converted into heat, warming the air. Scattering: when sunlight strikes air molecules or dust particles, the radiation can be scattered. Reflection: when more light bounces off an object than is absorbed, it is reflected. *reflection differs from scattering because in reflection, more light is sent backwards.
