Energy Transfer in the Atmosphere

Energy in the
Atmosphere

Notes Part 2

Energy in the Atmosphere

*Remember*

● Conduction - energy transfer by contact

○ Ex: Burning your hand when you touch a

hot pan

● Convection - energy transfer by circulation

or movement of a liquid or gas by
convection currents
○ Ex: warm air rising, cooler air sinking

The Greenhouse Effect -

A good thing!

● Without the greenhouse

effect, the life would
probably not exist, because
it helps warm the Earth!

○

Average temperature
without greenhouse

effect = -18℃ or -0.4℉

○

Average temperature
WITH the greenhouse
effect = 15℃ or 59℉

Human Causes Global Warming

● The more greenhouse

gases in the atmosphere,
the more heat that is
trapped which makes the Earth warmer

○ Called global warming

● Scientists think that our

activities are increasing the
natural greenhouse effect

Fill in the Blank

What do scientists think we are doing to the natural greenhouse effect due to our activities?

Global Warming
Effects

●

The effects of global warming

○

Warmer summers and

winters

○

Some places will be

wetter or drier, affecting

farming

○

Melting ice caps, which

raise sea levels

○

Life would have to adapt

to the changes

Long-term
fluctuations in
weather patterns
could have
extreme impacts
on farmers,
slashing crop
yields, forcing
farmers to adopt
new practices to
adapt to the new
conditions.

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT an effect of increased global warming?

• changes in global food production

• Melting ice caps leading to rising sea levels
• Expansion of polar bear habitats
• increase in extreme weather events

The Debate

●

Over the last 4 billion years,
climates on the Earth have
constantly changed

●

As we are coming out of an
ice age, is this warming trend
natural, or man-made?

●

Your job as citizens is to
research, learn, and find the
truth! Learn all you can so you
can make an informed
decision!

No Greenhouse Effect

Radiation Balance

● The Radiation

Balance: Energy in,
Energy Out
○ The amount of

energy Earth
receives and the
amount of energy
returned to space
must be
approximately
equal.

Fill in the Blank

In order for the radiation balance to be correct, the amount of energy that comes in must be close to _________ to the amount of energy released.

Why Air Moves

● Density Differences

○ Air Rises at the Equator and sinks at the Poles
○ As the cold, more dense air sinks, it creates

areas of high pressure around the poles. This
cold polar air then flows toward the equator,
where the warm air creates low pressure

● Pressure always goes from high to low. The high

pressure air wants to fill in the low-pressure area.

● Pressure Belts are found every 30°

○ Convection cells are separated by pressure

belts, band of high and low pressure

Dropdown

Pressure goes from

Select answer

to ​

Select answer

.

Fill in the Blank

Cold air _____.

Fill in the Blank

Warm air _____.

—Someone Famous

The Coriolis Effect

● The Coriolis

Effect - the
apparent
curving of
the path of
the currents
due to the
Earth’s
rotation

● Simulation

Multiple Choice

the apparent curving of the path of the currents due to the Earth’s rotation

• Gravitational pull
• Magnetic field effect
• Convection Current

• Coriolis effect

Local Winds
● Move short distances

and can blow from
any direction
○ Ex. Mountain and

valley breezes are
due by geography

○ Sea and land

breezes are
affected by
temperature

Multiple Choice

Local winds are ______ distance.

• medium
• far
• short
• long

Multiple Choice

Local winds blow

• left to right

• in any direction

• right to left

• north to south

Sea/Land Breezes

●

The Ozone Hole

● The Earth's protective ozone layer is thinning over the

Arctic regions.

○ This allows more UV radiation, which damages

genes and can cause skin cancer, to reach the surface

● In 1987, many nations agreed to reduce the use of

CFCs, the chemicals that cause ozone depletion

○ CFCs remain active for 60-120 years, but it takes

MUCH longer to repair the ozone layer

Simulation

Multiple Choice

One negative effect of the hole in the ozone layer is

• Decreased exposure to harmful UV radiation
• Increased exposure to beneficial UV radiation
• Decreased risk of skin cancer
• Increased exposure to harmful UV radiation