1. Unit 4: Energy Flow in Global Systems

2. Chapters:
Chapter 10: Solar Energy and Climates Chapter 11: Climates and Biomes Chapter 12: Climate Change and Humans

3. Ch 1: Solar Energy and Climates
The Biosphere

4. Defining Systems:
Three classes of systems are defined by the following:
1. Open system
2. Closed system
3. Isolated system

5. Allows energy and matter to cross the systems boundary
Open System:
Allows energy and matter to cross the systems boundary
Examples:

6. Allows only energy but NOT matter to cross the boundary
Closed System
Allows only energy but NOT matter to cross the boundary
Examples:

7. Allows NEITHER energy nor matter to cross the boundary
Isolated System
Allows NEITHER energy nor matter to cross the boundary
Examples:

8. The Biosphere

9. Layers of the Biosphere
There are 3 layers that make up the biosphere:
1. Lithosphere
2. Hydrosphere
3. Atmosphere

10. Lithosphere
The Earth’s crust that forms land above sea level, at the ocean bottom, as well as the Earth’s mantel

11. Hydrosphere Water on or near the Earth’s surface
Includes, oceans, rivers, lakes as well as water in the atmosphere (clouds)
Cryosphere: water that is frozen in icecaps and permafrost

12. Atmosphere
A mixture of nitrogen, oxygen and other gases that extends 800km above the Earth’s surface

13. Atmospheric Layers

14. 1. Troposphere Layer of gases from 0 km to 10 km from the surface
Temp decreases as altitude increases (from 170C to -600C)
Contains 80% of the atmosphere’s gases
Location weather occurs

15. 2. Stratosphere
Above the troposphere from 10 km to 50 km above the surface
Temperature increases to 0 degrees
Planes fly in this layer due to its stability
Contains no life forms
Contains the ozone layer

16. 3. Mesosphere Above the stratosphere Reaches 85 km above the Earth
Temperature decreases to -1000C degrees

17. 4. Thermosphere Farthest layer from the Earth’s surface
Location of Northern Lights & space shuttle orbit
Temperature increases to 15000C degrees!
Very little gas in this layer

18. Atmospheric Layers

19. Earths Radiation Budget
What is Radiation?
The mechanism of energy transfer in which in which atoms or molecules emit electromagnetic waves

20. Earth’s Radiation Budget
The earth maintains an energy balance of these waves known as its radiation budget

21. Welcome to the Family Feud!!
We surveyed 100 scientists and the top 4 answers are on the board:
What is the most common obstruction that effects solar radiation coming into or leaving the earth?

22. Survey says:
Ozone layer
Clouds
3. Albedo
(surface reflection)
4. Dust

23. Climate Vs. Weather
Climate - long-term trend in atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature and precipitation
Weather - the above conditions at one time in one place

24. What do you know? With a partner answer the following:
1. What determines the lengths of days and nights at different latitudes?
2. Why are days of daylight and darkness not equal?
3. Why do the seasons have unequal # of days?
4. What is significance about March 21th and September 23rd?
5. Explain why the warming of the earth is unequal?

25. What determines the lengths of days and nights at different latitudes?

26. Why are days of daylight and darkness not equal?

27. Why do the seasons have unequal # of days?

28. What is significance about March 21st and September 23rd?

29. Explain why the warming of the earth is unequal?

31. The Earths Tilted Axis
Angle of Inclination: the angle of the equator with respect of the the plane of the earths surface around the sun

32. Earth’s Rotation Around the Sun

33. Seasons and Sunlight

34. Uneven Distribution of Radiation

35. Uneven Distribution of Radiation

36. All of these factors lead to 3 major climate zones
Polar
Temperate
Tropical