MNS 307 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Atmospheric Circulation, Solar Constant, Marching Band
Document Summary
Why atmosphere: closely linked determining earth"s climate, the surface circulation of the ocean is largely driven by winds, atmospheric conditions govern surface ocean temperatures and salinity, effect local ocean conditions. Solar constant = 2 cal/cm2/min = 1360 w/m2: amount of heat arriving without an atmosphere, solar radiation at the equator at noon - 1. 6 cal/cm2/min, 1 cal = 4. 2 joules. Because of the angle that sunlight arrives higher latitudes receive less energy per cm2 than tropics, but have a longer day length in the summer. Solar input must equal output (total: temp increases if input is greater than output, temp decreases if input is less than output. Maintain 70% of solar energy: 30% reflected back out. The 70% leaves: input = output. Seasonal variation in solar radiation at different latitudes. Seasons are opposite in the northern/southern hemisphere. Higher solar radiation in the summer, lower in the winter. New sea ice forms as a thin sheet of ice.
