13.3 Interactions of Solar Energy with Land and Air

Pages 435 – 446 (omit investigations)

  1. Low specific heat capacity explains why sand’s temperature will increase five times faster than water.
  2. Water’s transparency allows heat to be distributed more evenly (because the sun’s energy reaches the deeper water).
  3. Soil is not transparent, so its temperature only gets warm at the surface from the sun’s energy.
  4. Conduction warms the air near the ground: Air molecules that are in contact with the ground’s surface receive energy (as collisions due to vibration). (Happens in a very thin layer at the surface)
  5. Convection warms the air at higher altitudes because the warm air is less dense (molecules are farther apart in warm air) and rises.
  6. ** Should be last question!**Without carbon dioxide and water vapour in the atmosphere temperatures would be too cold for us and many living things.
  7. The air above dry land is warmer than the air over water during the day because…the land gives off more heat (soil and rock become very warm at the surface).
  8. Day: Warmer air rises above land during the day, replaced by cool air from over water. (ONSHORE Breeze)

Night: Land cools very quickly (low specific heat capacity) while water temperature doesn’t drop as much. Warmer air rising over the ocean is replaced by cooler air from land. (OFFSHORE Breeze)

  1. Complete the table (on looseleaf) describing each of the four layers of the atmosphere:

Layer / Altitude / TemperatureRange / Description
Troposphere / 0 – 10 km / Decreasing to -57ºC / All weather occurs here
Stratosphere / 10 – 50 km / Increases to about -2ºC / Ozone layer is found here. Increasing temperature is due to ozone absorbing UV.
Mesosphere / 50 – 90km / Decreasing to -100 ºC / Meteors mainly burn up here
Thermosphere / 90km + / Increases to more than 600 ºC / High temperatures but not much heat transfer (few molecules)
Aurora occur here (Northern Lights)
  1. Atmospheric pressure is caused by the amount of air molecules above us. Gravity pulls on the molecules (downward) which creates the pressure.
  2. Standard atmospheric pressure is 101 300 Pascals (101.3 kPa)
  3. Atmospheric pressure decreases as you go up in altitude because there are fewer molecules above you being affected by gravity.
  4. Local atmospheric pressures are slightly different from standard atmospheric pressure because warming or cooling the air changes pressure.
  5. Oxygen and ozone absorb UV, protecting cells from damage that causes cancer.
  6. Greenhouse gases (water, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) prevent the Earth from quickly losing most heat to space as infrared radiation. ***Water is most important.