24 Questions
What divides the Earth into zones that receive a solar energy surplus and those that experience deficits?
Latitudes of 38° North and South
What is the measure of the average kinetic energy of molecules in a substance?
Temperature
What is the reason for daily temperature lag?
Diurnal changes
What is the effect of cloud cover on air temperature?
It decreases air temperature
Why do coastal cities have smaller daily temperature variations?
Due to the moderating influence of the ocean
What is the term for the heat energy transferred from one substance or medium to another due to temperature differences?
Heat
What is the primary concern of Earth's energy budget?
The balance between incoming solar energy and outgoing energy
What is an energy balance?
A concept where the energy received from the sun is equal to the energy returned to space
Why do different locations on Earth have unbalanced energy budgets?
Because of differences in latitude, daylight duration, and seasonal regime
What is the consequence of the Earth's energy budget being unbalanced?
The Earth would experience continuous warming or cooling
What is dynamic equilibrium in the context of the Earth's energy budget?
A balance between the energy received from the sun and the energy returned to space
What is the term for the amount of solar energy received by the Earth?
Insolation
What is the term for a surface's ability to reflect solar energy, expressed as a percentage?
Albedo
What is the average rate of temperature decrease with an increase in elevation in the troposphere?
6.5°C/1000 m
What is the term for a flow of seawater that is warmer than the surrounding ocean water?
Warm Current
What is the direction of ocean currents in the Northern Hemisphere?
Clockwise
What is the primary characteristic of a cold current?
It is a flow of seawater that is relatively colder than the surrounding ocean
What is the name of the process by which winds blowing from an ocean to the land bring cooler temperatures in summer and warmer temperatures in winter?
Advection
What is the term for a reversal of the normal pattern of vertical distribution of air temperature?
Temperature inversion
What is the primary factor that contributes to the formation of urban heat islands?
Thousand of automobiles adding heat to the air
What is the time period used to describe an area's average weather?
30 years
What is the term for the process by which the atmosphere is heated from Earth's surface?
Convection
What is the conversion of 20°C to Fahrenheit?
68°F
Which of the following cities would you expect to have a milder winter?
Seattle
Explore the relationship between solar energy input, storage, and output within the Earth system. Learn how incoming solar energy is absorbed and stored, and how outgoing energy is lost to space. Understand the concept of energy balance and its importance in Earth's energy budget.
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