Radiation and the Earth

All energy on Earth originates from the ______.

  • insolation is the ______- different regions have different insolations
  • Insolation is dependent on:
  • ______
  • Specific characteristics of the regions ______

Radiation that has been absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere contributes to the ______

Note: ______is defined as the amount of radiation that a surface ______. The albedo for the entire Earth is ______, however this varies with region and season.

The natural greenhouse effect

The natural greenhouse effect occurs when ______, causing a warming of the lower atmosphere and Earth’s surface

  • The natural greenhouse effect is ______!
  • It helps to maintain a ______, ______climate (without it our average temp would be ______)

However... ______are creating more and more greenhouse gases (which absorb ______) and adding to the greenhouse effect (called the ______)

  • ______, ______, ______and ______are the most important greenhouse gases
  • ______is the most abundant in natural greenhouse gases – others are in small proportions

Net Radiation Budget:

Ideally, the amount of ______radiation from the sun should equal the amount of ______radiation from earth.

However, this is not always the case.

If ______, then the Earth will heat causing major changes in climate, destruction of ______and possible death.

If ______, it will not only decrease the life of plants (photosynthesis) but will cool the Earth to the point of another ______.

Energy Transfer

Although all solar energy enters as ______, it cannot be transferred through the ______by this method alone. Thermal energy can be transferred through:

  • Conduction – transfer through ______(solids)
  • Radiation – emission of energy as ______(sun, water)
  • Convection – transfer of energy through ______(wind, ocean currents)

Wind/Water

Wind is the movement of ______from areas of ______(cold places) to areas of ______(hot places).

Winds do not travel directly North and South because of the ______which deflects winds because of ______.

Wind moves______in the Northern hemisphere and ______in the Southern hemisphere

______are bands of fast moving winds in the ______- they are responsible for ______. Strong jet streams often form between ______air masses

______are warm and cold rivers that flow within the ocean. Their movement is caused by ______from the warmer areas (near equator) to cooler areas (near poles). ______can also influence movement and surface currents are also influenced by the ______.

Homework:

  • Read p.274 – 285Do questions p.278 #1-3 and p.289 #1, 2, 3, 9-12

Climate Change Chapters 8 and 9

Read chapters 8 and 9 in your textbook. Answer the following questions from your textbook on lined paper. These answers will assist you in writing your climate change test.

Section:Page:Questions:

8.13022

8.13073, 4, 6, 7, 8, 17

8.23153

8.23194, 7, 10, 12, 15

8.33302, 3, 12

9.13473, 4, 12

9.23541

9.23602, 3, 4, 10

Climatographs

Learning Goals:

-be able to create a climatograph from data provided

-analyze and interpret the graphs produced to understand how climate change is affecting Waterloo Region

Climatographs show the ______AND ______over a period of time on a single graph.

Constructing a Climatograph: Waterloo Region

Environment Canada and the University of Waterloo provide climate data gathered from their weather stations to all Canadians. This information is archived and published so that this data can be used to predict climate changes as seen over the past 50 years.

Create the following climatographs: (For detailed instructions on making a climatograph turn to page 270 in your text book)

Table 1: Climate Data for Waterloo Region, ON 1850-1879

J / F / M / A / M / J / J / A / S / O / N / D
Avg Temp. (0C) / -10.4 / -12.6 / -5.5 / 3.5 / 12 / 16.6 / 21.3 / 20.4 / 17.1 / 8.5 / 1.2 / -11.7
AvgPrecip. (mm) / 23.0 / 27.5 / 36.0 / 44.0 / 64.5 / 65.0 / 72.0 / 69.0 / 85.0 / 45.0 / 62.0 / 52.0

Table 2: Climate Data for Waterloo Region, ON 1975 – 2005

J / F / M / A / M / J / J / A / S / O / N / D
Avg Temp. (0C) / -9.8 / -10.2 / 1.3 / 5.5 / 16.5 / 19.5 / 25.3 / 23.6 / 21.2 / 12.4 / 4.1 / -2.2
AvgPrecip. (mm) / 43.0 / 45.0 / 56.0 / 59.0 / 50.0 / 54.0 / 51.0 / 58.0 / 66.0 / 53.5 / 59.0 / 79.0

Analysis

  1. Study each graph. Write 3-5 sentences describing the trends and whether you think that temperature and precipitation are related.
  2. Compare the two climatographs. Describe any changes you see between them. Explain what factors may have contributed to the changes seen between 1850 and now.
  3. Would you say “Climate change is a factor that is affecting Waterloo Region”? Why or why not?