GEOL 212 Study Guide - Quiz Guide: Ultraviolet, Atmospheric Circulation, Solar Wind
26 Dec 2017
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The mesosphere: here, the transfer of heat is relatively straightforward. There is no convection, only conduction - the absorption and re-radiation of energy. The thermosphere: in its thin outer reaches, an atmosphere mixes and interacts with the solar wind with the result that it is heated and ionized. (regions of extensive ionization are called the ionosphere). Heated molecules re- radiate energy at different rates depending on their physical characteristics, such that some retain their heat longer than others. An earth idiosyncrasy - the stratosphere: (15 - Through a complex series of reactions, this radiation causes the dissociation of. O2 molecules which recombine as o3, ozone, which forms an ozone layer. As a result, the biosphere is protected from ultraviolet radiation that would otherwise render earth"s surface sterile. However, as ultraviolet light strikes the stratosphere, its energy is absorbed by the ozone, which heats up, then re-radiates in the infrared.
