CAS BI 306 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Solar Radiation Management, Radiative Flux, Milankovitch Cycles
23 Aug 2016
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Document Summary
Water droplets and crystals floating in the sky. Clouds affect incoming shortwave solar radiation and outgoing longwave radiation. Clouds move materials from the troposphere to the stratosphere (updrafts) Clouds cause feedback - large uncertainties in models. Cloud formation - above a certain height, it gets cold enough for water to condense clouds! Affected by topography (ie mountains: moist air forced up over mountain cools, condenses into cloud. Opposite direction surface winds run into each other force air up cloud. H2o condensing into clouds depends on aerosols - cloud condensation nuclei . Provide an anchor for water molecules to grip onto attract more form crystals hail, snow. Biogenic aerosols - organic molecules from plants/little plant bits in the atmosphere. The reason tropics have so many clouds! Reflect sunlight haze, red effect in sunrise/sunset. Burn coal release many sulfate and carbon dioxide molecules. Sulfate reflect solar radiation cooling. Clean air act - reduce sulfate concentrations reduce acidification, but also reduce cloud reflectivity!
