EEB428H1 Study Guide - Final Guide: Hadley Cell, Equinox, Phenotypic Plasticity
27 Apr 2016
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Son gives off energy as electromagnetic radiation. Some energy incoming bounces off of the atmosphere immediately, most is absorbed. If the earth absorbs 240w of energy, and had a temperature of absolute 0, then the temperature would warm to be the temperature associated with 240w of energy, so around -6 c (assuming only n2 and o2 in the atmosphere). But today, they average temperature is 15 c. Meaning there are other gases in the atmosphere trapping heat/radiation. Surface radiation is radiation from the earth back into the atmosphere which heats up the undersurface of the atmosphere. This heats up the lower boundary of the upper atmosphere. The atmosphere itself radiates some of that back down to earth. Incoming and outgoing radiation reach a point where they match, which is currently 168wm2. Water is the most potent ghg because it absorbs in a large range of wavelengths. Co2 absorbs in a broad range of the leaky wavelengths of h2o.
