Heat Transfer in the Atmosphere http://www.srh.weather.gov/jetstream/atmos/heat.htm

How does sun’s heat energy reach earth? Does all of the energy that leaves sun reach earth? Insolation- Incoming Solar Radiation- heat in the form of waves No, some is absorbed or reflected back to space The amount that reaches the surface is 50% called the heat budget.

Heat Transfer The heat that reaches the Earth from the sun can move through the atmosphere in three ways: Radiation Conduction Convection

What is Radiation? transfer of heat energy by waves Like a fireplace or a campfire don’t have to actually touch the source to feel the heat This happens on Earth when the rays from the sun travel to the surface.

What is conduction? transfer of heat energy from molecule to molecule by direct contact or touching Like the picture of the welder the heat is transferred from the torch to the metal. The metal then becomes hot and if you were to touch the hot metal then you would burn your hand. This happens on Earth when radiation heats rocks and pavement and then the heat is transferred from the ground molecules to the air molecules above the ground.

What is convection? Flow of energy in a liquid or a gas, warm stuff rises, cool stuff sinks This happens in a pot of boiling water or in the formation of clouds for weather, Less dense air will rise and then cool creating clouds. When it cools it will become more dense and sink creating weather patterns.

These three methods of heat transfer work together to regulate the Earth’s temperature a measure of energy. the angle of the sun at different times of year, different times of day, and different latitudes The Greenhouse Effect is when CO2 and H2O vapor cause atmos. to trap energy from sun What is temperature? What causes temp to change on Earth? What causes global temp change?

The Water Cycle How does water get in the air? How does water fall back to Earth? What is the Cycle? The radiation, conduction and convection drive the water cycle. water heated by radiation is changed to vapor. Warm moist vapor is less dense, rises, cools, condenses to form clouds. Clouds become too heavy to stay in the air, fall as precipitation. Precip. soaks into ground or flows downhill back to ocean, process repeats

The Water Cycle