Term | Definition |
Solar energy (or solar radiation) | Energy from the sun |
The atmosphere obtains heat from the ___ ___ that reaches the earth. | solar energy |
Radiation | The transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves |
Electromagnetic waves | Waves that include radio waves and waves of light |
Albedo | The decimal equivalent of solar radiation reflected by an object is that object's this |
Insolation | The solar energy that does reach the surface of the earth (INcoming SOLar radiATION) |
Watt | Measures the amount of energy that something gains, loses, or uses in a second |
___ ___ reduces the amount of insolation as much as 85%, because ___ are especially reflective. | cloudy weather, clouds |
___ ___ ___ affects insolation. | Amount of daytime |
The amount of insolation is also affected by the ___ ___ ___ ___ ____. | angles of the sun's rays |
___ ____ ___ ___ ___ also affects the amount of insolation. | Earth's distance from the sun |
Perihelion | Earth's closest point to the sun |
Aphelion | Earth's farthest point from the sun |
Perihelion occurs during the ___ ___'s summer. | Southern Hemisphere |
Energy budget | The amount of energy available to heat the earth's land, water, and air |
Greenhouse effect | The process of trapping heat in the earth's atmosphere |
Greenhouse gases | The atmospheric gases that help to trap heat |
The most important and abundant greenhouse gas is ___ ___. | water vapor |
The warmest part of the day occurs ___ ___ ___. | well after noon (approximately 3:00 over land 5:00 over sea) |
Insolation warms water ___ ___ ___ than it warms land. | much more slowly |
Water ___ ___ longer than land does. | holds heat |
Conduction | The transfer of heat by direct contact between two objects |
Convection | Heat transfer by moving currents of hot air (or other fluids) |
Most of the earth's weather occurs in the ___ as the result of ___ ___. | troposphere, convection currents |
Vertical movements of air | Updrafts or downdrafts |
Winds | Horizontal movements of air |
Adiabatic | Refers to processes in which heat is not transferred |
Adiabatic heating | In which the temperature of a gas rises as the gas is compressed with no heat loss |
Adiabatic cooling | The process in which, if no heat is added, the temperature of a gas drops as it expands |
When a body of air rises, ___ ___ ___. | its temperature drops |