OCG 301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Mauna Loa Observatory, Water Vapor, Extreme Weather
Document Summary
The surface of the earth receives radiation from the atmosphere as well as the sun. Averaged over the planet, the surface receives more radiation from the atmosphere than from the sun. Solar radiation coming from the sun, some radiation is reflected by the. Most is absorbed by the earth"s surface and warms it. Infrared radiation is emitted from the earth"s surface. Some passes through the atmosphere, and some is absorbed and re-emitted in all directions by greenhouse gas molecules. The effect of this is warming of the earth"s surface and the lower atmosphere. Water vapor is the most effective at trapping heat followed by methane, than co2. Nitrogen and oxygen do not trap heat. Measured as the mole fraction in dry air constitute the longest record of direct measurements of co2 in the atmosphere. Co2 concentration (ppm) has increased significantly from 1960 - 2018.