4.1 Climate Controls Student PDF

Climate Controls + Energy Earth’s climate system -REVIEW Basic laws of matter and energy Matter can’t be created or destroyed Matter can be converted from one form to another using energy Cycles between 4 material reservoirs using energy Energy can’t be created or destroyed Energy can be conver...

Climate Controls + Energy Earth’s climate system -REVIEW Basic laws of matter and energy Matter can’t be created or destroyed Matter can be converted from one form to another using energy Cycles between 4 material reservoirs using energy Energy can’t be created or destroyed Energy can be converted from one form to other Thermal energy is lost from system Energy Flow in Earth’s climate – climate controls 1. The ultimate source of energy Solar energy Total solar influx: depends on distance from sun and solar activity 2. How is energy lost from Earth system? Earth’s Reflectivity = Albedo Reflection of solar rays from earth back to space 3.How does energy stay in our Earth system? Greenhouse effect – due to chemical composition of the atmosphere (due to natural causes and human activity Greenhouse Effect What is the greenhouse effect? Trapping of the sun’s warmth in the planet’s lower atmosphere due to greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation (UV) from the sun than to infrared radiation (heat) emitted from planet’s surface Longwave energy emitted back to space by the planet is trapped, which keeps the heat What are greenhouse gases? on the planet Gases in the atmosphere that GHG’s absorb and re-emit the longwave Allow direct sunlight to reach Earth’s energy surface and heat it Absorb infrared radiation (heat) that is emitted from surface and re-radiate it into atmosphere (and back to earth) Sun’s energy Solar radiation is shorter wave length UV, Visible Outgoing radiation is longer wave infrared Which molecules absorb solar light? O2, O3, water vapour Which molecules absorb long wave radiation? GHGs = CO2, H2O, (N2O, CH4) Solar radiation is more intense than infrared radiation Energy Budget Energy flow in = energy flow out = ENERGY BALANCE Is the Earth’s energy balanced?  Energy Budget Energy flow in = energy flow out = ENERGY BALANCE Is the Earth’s energy balanced? Incoming energy > outgoing energy = ENERGY IMBALANCE Energy Budget If energy inflow and energy outflow to the system are not equal = ENERGY IMBALANCE Incoming energy > outgoing energy = global temperature increase Energy Budget How do we measure energy? Joule At a given time = Watt (Joule/second) Over a given space = Watts/m2 Solar Energy Average = 340 Watts/m2 over time and space on the planet Energy Budget How do we measure energy? Joule At a given time = Watt (Joule/second) Over a given space = Watts/m2 Solar Energy Average = 340 Watts/m2 over time and space on the planet How do we measure temperature change when energy changes? Earth’s climate sensitivity: If 1 Watt/m2 added to Earth’s surface, surface temperature increases by 0.75℃ Global Average Temperature Source: Climate.nasa.gov Learning Objectives Identify the 3 primary factors that effect energy flows (and energy balance) in our climate system Understand and apply the basic laws of energy and matter. Identify the 4 material reserves of our climate system. Understand the relationship between matter and energy in this system. Explain the greenhouse effect and how GHG gases behave. Measure energy. Apply climate sensitively values. Identify the evidence that shows which factor(s) create imbalance in the energy budget