GEOG 1220 Lecture 3: Physical Processes and Models
15 Feb 2012
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Document Summary
Week 3 review: physical processes and models: the physical factors responsible for the creation of the earth"s environment, the earth is located at intermediate distance from the sun, allowing the creation of the atmosphere. : energy from within the system of the earth. The solar energy delivered to the earth"s surface is not evenly spread over the planet. Hardly any energy reaches the poles, and therefore they are cold, dormant, lifeless areas. The most energy reaches the subtropics, and therefore there is intense surface heating and little precipitation produces deserts as there are few clouds to block the solar radiation. Atmosphere: 99% nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21), and argon. The troposphere is the layer that holds virtually all the atmosphere"s heat and moisture and is responsible for the earth"s weather and climatic process including wind systems and hurricanes. We see a decreasing temperature as we increase altitude: examples of human-created atmospheric circulation patterns.
