Geography 2131A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Solar Irradiance, Wavelength, Shortwave Radio
30 Mar 2017
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Document Summary
Radiation = transfer of energy as electromagnetic waves: measured in wavelength, which is inversely proportional to the temperature of the emitting body. 31% reaches earth surface - direct radiation. 30% reflected out of atmosphere - scattered or reflected. 22% scattered and reflected down to surface. Short wave radiation coming in from sun, long wave radiation going out. Long wave radiation from the earth"s surface can either be absorbed by the atmosphere or lost to space. Greenhouse effect = bouncing of long wave radiation between atmosphere and earth o. Insolation can be scattered by: atmospheric gases, vapours and dust particles are smaller than radiation of wave length they are dealing with o. Particle gets radiation and diffuses it in all directions (why some goes back to atmosphere and some goes to earth) Importance - makes sky blue and clouds white o. Blue is easier to diffuse than other colours.
