Assignment #3

why are CO2 and water vapor called selectively absorbing greenhouse gases?

because they allow visible light through and shortwave radiation 9 (the sun) to pass through

enhancement of earth's greenhouse effect comes from

carbon dioxide which comes from burning of fossil fuels

what processes contribute to earth's albedo being 30%?

earth's atmosphere scatters incoming solar radiation back to space

primary wavelength of energy that the earth emits:

infrared

how does the amount and type of radiation emitted by earth differ from that emitted by the sun?

- earth's atmosphere absorbs and emits infrared radiation - sun emits shortwave radiation due to lot of energy. - earth emits longwave radiation due to less energy.

Any object with a temperature above absolute zero emits what?

- emits electromagnetic radiation - hot objects emit more radiation, the hotter the object, the short the wavelength

photons from least amount of energy carried to most amount of energy carried

LEAST - radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x rays. - MOST

earth's surfaces from low albedo to high albedo

LOW. - forest, water, ice, clouds (thin), fresh snow. - HIGH

What is the solar wind?

a continuous stream of high energy particles is released into space in all directions from the suns corona

If earth's surface continuously radiates energy, why doesn't the earth become colder and coler?

because the earth abosrbs solar heat