GEOG 2050 : Geography Exam 2 Notes
Document Summary
Albedo or brightness: expressed as a % of insulation reflected. Clouds and radiation: shortwave radiation tends to cool the earth down because rays are reflected off cumulus clouds (rain forests, longwave radiation has cloud greenhouse forcing which gets trapped between the surface and the clouds. Volcanic eruptions: increaded albedo, reduces temp, pinatubo recduced global temp by degree. Latent heat: energy for phase change, evaporation/condensation, ice/liquid water, more in ch. Radiation: energy traveling through air or space, electromagnetic radiation. Conduction: thermal energy from high temp to low temp equalize temp differences, takes place in matter, solids, liquids, gases, conductive material. Convection: takes place in matter, liquids, gases, transfer eng by movement, physical mixing, warm (less dense) air/water rises, cold (more dense) air/water descends, advection- horizontal mixing. The greenhouse effect: a real greenhouse traps hear inside, atmosphere absorbs heat eng, greenhouse gases radiant lw back to earth, delaying the transfer of heat from earth into space.