Insolation and Temperature — Flashcards

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Solar radiation is the heat energy continuously radiated by the Sun into space. The Sun is an extremely hot gaseous spherical mass with a surface temperature of 6000°C.

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Earth receives only one in two billion parts of the total solar radiation because the Earth is very far from the Sun and is much smaller in size than the Sun.

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Insolation is radiant energy from the Sun that strikes the Earth. It is received in the form of short waves and is measured in calories. About 1.94 calories of heat energy is received per square centi…

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Insolation is the cause and is heat energy measured in calories. Temperature is the effect and measures the degree of hotness in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit. The two are related, but they are not th…

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The solar constant is about 1.94 calories of heat energy received per square centimetre per minute at the outer limit of the atmosphere. It is called constant because this amount remains unchanged the…

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The heat budget of the Earth is the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing terrestrial radiation. Of 100 units received at the top of the atmosphere, 51 units reach the Earth and 49 uni…

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Out of 100 units, 51 units reach the Earth and 49 units are reflected back. Of the reflected 49 units, 6 units are scattered into space, 27 units are reflected from clouds, and 2 units are reflected f…

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The Earth radiates back 51 units as terrestrial radiation. Of these, 17 units go directly to space and 34 units are absorbed by the atmosphere. The atmosphere also radiates energy back to space, so th…