EVS 205 Study Guide - Quiz Guide: Solar Constant, Air1, Reflectance
12 Mar 2014
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
The climate machine: weather and climate, weather: the meteorological state of the atmosphere that we experience instantaneously at our particular location, climate: the average weather over an extended period of time in a specific region. Ex: wilmington, us, earth: global average temperature, most stable climate parameter, reservoirs of heat absorption maintain average temperature despite fluctuations. Atmosphere, land, oceans: study of climate (concerned with, global balance of energy, absorption of solar energy by the earth, flow of energy through earth"s reservoirs, eventual loss of energy back to space. *bottom line: factors that modify any one of these can cause climate change: mechanisms of the climate machine, earth"s energy source: the sun. Temperature on earth is determined by: distance from sun, varies 3. 4% per year (elliptical orbit, amount of energy absorbed, amount of energy radiated outward (earth glow) Amount of energy reaching the earth is referred to as the solar constant: approx. 1400 watts/m2: solar illumination on planet: uneven heating.
