Chapter 2

Earth

0.5 μm

Sun

10.0 μm

Tropic of Capricorn

23.5◦ S

Tropic of Cancer

23.5◦N

Arctic Circle

66.5◦ N

Antarctic Circle

66.5◦ S

atmospheric window

A range of wavelengths in the infrared spectrum that passes through the atmosphere without much loss

nitrogen oxygen

About 99% of Earth's atmosphere (by volume) is composed of just two gases, the most abundant at about 78% is ___________ , followed by __________ at about 21%.

mesosphere

Absorbs little insolation at any wavelength

water vapor

An abundant and the most important greenhouse gas, it absorbs a wide range of OLR.

absorption

An object retains some of the energy that strikes it.

Stratosphere Thermosphere

Which two layers of Earth's atmosphere most strongly absorb solar insolation?

Heat is being taken in and stored as latent heat, or latent heat is being released into the environment.

Why are atmospheric temperatures affected by the phase changes of water?

Not all molecules in an object vibrate or move at the same speed.

Why do objects emit electromagnetic radiation (EMR) in a range of wavelengths?

We sense the flow of heat more than we sense the actual temperature of an object.

Why do two different objects, say a piece of wood and a piece of metal, with the same moderate temperature feel as if they are at different temperatures when we touch them?

At higher latitudes, the angle between the incoming light and the surface is smaller, and this spreads the incoming energy over a greater area.

Why does insolation vary with latitude?

Human-made chlorofluorocarbons released into the atmosphere break apart ozone molecules by strongly attracting one of the oxygen atoms.

How have humans contributed to the destruction of ozone?

1. Radio Waves 2. infrared radiation 3. visible light 4. Gamma Rays

Arrange the parts of the electromagnetic spectrum listed below by wavelength. (Place the shortest wavelength at the bottom.)

Mesosphere Troposphere

As the four different layers of the atmosphere interact with the insolation passing through them, their temperature changes with altitude. Select the layers of the atmosphere that decline in temperature with increasing altitude.

phase

As the physical spacing of the distance between water molecules changes, the ______ of the water may change too.

decreases

As the rate of atomic motion decreases in a system, the amount of energy it contains ______

increase

As the temperature of an object decreases, the average wavelength of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) it produces will ______.

exactly

At 20 degree S on the March Equinox, where will the Sun set with respect to due west? It will set ______ due west

to the northeast of

At 50 degrees N on June 1, where will the Sun rise with respect to due east? It will rise ______ due east.

wavelengths or colors

Because different ___________ of electromagnetic energy are absorbed, scattered, and reflected at different rates in the atmosphere, the spectrum of sunlight received at sea level is different and less than the spectrum of sunlight received at the top of the atmosphere.

latent

Because energy is stored as ___________ heat, the temperature of water does not change as it melts or boils.

water vapor (H20)

Because it is abundant and intercepts a wide range of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), ______ is the most important greenhouse gas.

daylight darkness

Because it takes months for the direction of Earth's tilt relative to the Sun to significantly change, polar regions can experience months of continuous ______.

Yes, it varies with latitude, time, atmospheric conditions, and other factors.

Does the amount of solar insolation received at any one place vary?

its orbital plane of the Sun

Earth is tilted 23.5ο relative to ______.

higher; reduces

Earth is tilted relative to its orbital plane. This causes the seasons because as Earth orbits the Sun, each hemisphere is tilted toward and away from the Sun for part of the year. When a hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, it experiences ______ temperatures because the Sun angle is increased, which also ______ atmospheric attenuation.

the fusion of hydrogen into helium

Earth receives huge amounts of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from the Sun. The Sun produces this EMR mainly by ______

cooler

Earth would be a lot ______________ if it didn't have greenhouse gases in its atmosphere.

changes by about a degree either way over the course of 40,000 years

Earth's axis is tilted at 23.5 degrees with respect to the orbital plane. This angle of tilt ______.

2

Earth's tilt relative to the axial plane varies by a total of ____________degrees between its maximum and minimum.

reflection

Energy bounces off the surface of an object.

transmission

Energy is able to pass though the matter. Energy is able to pass though the matter.

scattering

Energy is dispersed in various directions

more energy

Greater motion at the atomic level results in the faster-moving molecules having ______.

Greenhouse gases absorb outgoing longwave radiation and re-emit it in all directions.

How are greenhouse gases related to the greenhouse effect?

Earth's revolution of the Sun changes the direction Earth is tilted relative to the Sun

How can the periods of darkness or daylight near the poles extend for months? The closer a location is to one of the poles, the longer it will be pointed at or away from the Sun and thus experience long periods of daylight or darkness until ______.

Earth produces a longer average wavelength.

How do the average wavelengths of radiation emitted by the Sun and Earth compare?

By a relative gain or loss

How do we usually sense heat?

more insolation can be absorbed or reflected in the atmosphere and less reaches the ground

How does atmospheric attenuation affect the amount of insolation that reaches the ground? The lower the angle of incoming light, the more atmosphere insolation has to travel through to reach the ground; thus, ______.

An oxygen molecule absorbs ultraviolet radiation, breaks apart, and the now single oxygen atom bonds with an existing oxygen molecule to form ozone.

How does ozone (O3) form naturally in the atmosphere

The amount of outgoing radiation equals the amount of incoming radiation.

How does the amount of incoming radiation to Earth compare to the amount of outgoing radiation?

Insolation striking Earth's surface decreases greatly with increasing latitude.

How does the amount of insolation striking the surface of Earth vary between 30° and 60ο latitude?

OLR is highest during their summer and lowest during their winter.

How does the amount of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) vary with time for either hemisphere?

It can cause the surrounding air to heat or cool, depending on the direction of the phase change.

How does the exchange of latent heat associated with phase changes of water affect atmospheric temperature?

Low-level clouds reflect more light.

How does the light-reflecting ability of high- and low-level clouds compare?

It results in locations poleward of the Arctic and Antarctic circles experiencing 24-hour periods of complete darkness and daylight.

How does the orbital tilt of Earth influence the polar regions?

It accounts for about 7% of the variation in amount of insolation received.

How much does the variation in the changing distance between Earth and the Sun in a year account for the amount of insolation received?

Chlorine takes an oxygen atom from an ozone molecule to form a new molecule, which quickly splits, allowing chlorine to break another ozone molecule.

Humans have manufactured and released chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These CFCs contain halogens such as chlorine. How does chlorine cause a decrease in the amount of ozone in the atmosphere?

-it shields us from harmful high-energy rays from space, -it contains oxygen, water vapor, and other important gases. -It is the source of weather and climate.

Identify ALL the reasons why Earth's atmosphere is important to life.

Shortwave radiation can be absorbed and then re-emitted at longer wavelengths. Molecules in ground materials absorb the radiation and thus increase their own temperature. Water molecules can store energy as ice melts into water as incoming energy is absorbed.

Identify correct descriptions of what can happen to shortwave radiation that strikes Earth's surface.

Changes in cloud cover Volcanic eruptions

Identify factors below that can directly cause changes in Earth's global shortwave-radiation budget throughout the year.

To refer to the transfer of thermal energy To refer to the energy that is transferred

Identify the two ways scientists use the term heat.

Energy must be transferred from one object to the next.

If an object is to warm up or cool down, what must happen?

Global surface temperatures would be much colder as outgoing longwave radiation would not be trapped in the atmosphere.

If everything else remained the same, how would global surface temperatures change compared to the temperatures today if greenhouse gases were not in the atmosphere?

The energy is stored as latent heat.

If heat is added to a block of ice to the point that the ice begins to melt and the input of the heat continues, the ice does not increase in temperature despite its absorption of the heat. Why is that?

They are radiated into space as longwave energy: 12 units directly from Earth's surface and 57 units from the atmosphere.

If the total amount of insolation reaching the top of the atmosphere from the Sun is 100 units, and 31 of those units are reflected in the planetary albedo, what happens to the remaining 69 units?

one to warm and one to cool

If there is a net transfer of energy from one object to another, then it is possible for ______.

ozone

Importantly to life, it absorbs incoming ultraviolet radiation.

By the fusion of particles By changes in the energy level of electrons

In addition to the changes associated with charged particles, how can electromagnetic energy be generated?

It is converted into other forms of energy.

In general, what happens to shortwave radiation that reaches Earth's surface that isn't reflected?

White or light-colored surfaces

In general, which of the following surfaces would have the highest albedo?

Celsius Kelvin

In the United States, the common system used to relate temperature to the public is the Fahrenheit scale. However, the rest of the world mainly uses the ___________ scale, which is calibrated to the freezing and boiling points of water. Another scale is the _________ scale, on which zero represents a lack of atomic motion.

Toward the poles

In what general direction does energy flow in the atmosphere?

latent sensible

Insolation absorbed and stored by evaporating water contributes to ____________ heat flux as the newly evaporated water molecules are warmed by outgoing longwave energy and rise and heat the surrounding air as part of the ___________ heat flux.

7%

Insolation scattered in the atmosphere

nitrous oxide

It is a by-product of many industrial chemical processes. It absorbs some of the OLR at wavelengths in the thermal infrared.

carbon dioxide

It is a trace gas. It strongly absorbs wavelengths just longer than those in the atmospheric window.

Cancer Capricorn

Located at 23.5ο N latitude is the Tropic of _________ and at 23.5ο S latitude is the Tropic of __________ . The Arctic and Antarctic Circles are at 66.5ο N and S, respectively.

the tilt of Earth's orbital plane causes the Sun to remain high in the sky

Locations in the tropics are subjected to the highest average Sun angles and are thus warm year-round because ______.

The orbital tilt of Earth results in one pole pointing away or partially away from the Sun for half of the year.

Locations poleward of the Arctic and Antarctic circles experience periods when they receive no insolation for 24 straight hours. Why does this occur?

counter

Long-wave energy that is emitted back to Earth is called _________________-radiation.

35 degrees

Low latitudes receive more insolation than they lose due to outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), and high latitudes lose more OLR than they gain from insolation. At what latitude does OLR match insolation?

tropics; poles

Most ozone is produced above the ______ and then moved by slow-moving circulation patterns toward the ______.

Farenheit

Mostly widely used in the U.S.; a relative scale not calibrated to water

the vast majority

Natural process on Earth are responsible for ______ of the gases and aerosols found in our atmosphere.

numerous sunspots

One of the coldest periods in the last 1,000 years occurred during a time of few or no sunspots for many years in a row. The modern period of warming has occurred during a period of ______

In the tropics

Ozone is concentrated in the stratosphere at high latitudes. Where is most of it produced?

high-energy low-energy

Phases that require more energy, like that of water vapor, are called ______ states, whereas phases that require less energetic states are called ______ states.

1. Nitrogen 2. Oxygen 3. Carbon Dioxide 4. Hydrogen

Rank the following gases by their contribution to the total volume of Earth's atmosphere. (Place the most abundant at the top.)

1. fresh snow 2. old snow and ice 3. leafy leaf-bearing trees 4. a wet and dark soil

Rank the following types of Earth surfaces by their average albedos. (Place the surface with the highest albedo at the top.)

1. microwaves 2. infrared 3. ultraviolet 4. X-rays

Rank the parts of the electromagnetic spectrum listed below by their frequencies. (Place the highest frequencies on the bottom.)

1. The Shorter UV-C wavelengths 2. The intermediate UV-B Wavelengths 3. The Longer UV-A wavelengths

Rank the relative amounts of each wavelength of ultraviolet (UV) radiation that reaches Earth's surface. (Place the wavelength of UV radiation that most abundantly strikes Earth's surface at the bottom.)

heat

Scientists use the term "_______" to refer to both the transfer of thermal energy and to the energy that is transferred.

Energy can bounce off an object in a process called reflection. Instead of just bouncing energy off its surface, an object can disperse the energy in various directions in a process called scattering.

Select all that statements below that accurately characterize one of the four ways radiant energy can interact with matter.

A beneficial ozone layer is located in the stratosphere and blocks harmful ultraviolet light. Ozone concentrations slightly rise in the lower troposphere because it is a by-product of sunlight striking hydrocarbons (pollution) in the air.

Select all the accurate statements below about the concentration of ozone in the atmosphere.

Vapor changing to Ice Liquid changing to ice Vapor changing to liquid

Select all the scenarios for water below that will warm the surrounding air.

A gas has a higher relative energy content than a solid. A liquid has a higher relative energy content than a solid. A liquid has a lower relative energy content than a gas.

Select all the statements below that accurately compare the relative energy content of the states of matter. (Assume that in each statement, the substance is the same material, just in a different state.)

By changes associated with charged particles

Select an example of how electromagnetic energy is generated.

They each have a rather uniform thermal profile and are located at the top of the layer for which they are named.

Select the accurate summary of the atmospheric layers called the tropopause, stratopause, and mesopause.

The center of South America The Atlantic Ocean The Pacific Ocean

Select the areas listed below for which we generally lack a good decades-long record of temperature.

Most of the outgoing longwave energy is emitted from the atmosphere, and the rest is emitted directly from Earth's surface.

Select the best summary of the outgoing longwave energy flux budget.

212 F, 100 C, 373 K

Select the boiling points of water at sea level from the choices below.

There is an excess of insolation from the equator to 35ο latitude and then a deficit from there to the poles.

Select the correct description of the latitudinal variations in the radiative balance between incoming and outgoing radiation.

Earth's total albedo is about 31%; the remaining 69% of incoming insolation is absorbed in the atmosphere (20%) or by the ground (49%).

Select the correct overall summary of the global shortwave-radiation budget.

The concentration of ozone is very low (parts per million) even in the stratosphere where it is most heavily concentrated.

Select the correct summary of the distribution of ozone in the atmosphere.

It is composed mostly of nitrogen and oxygen molecules, with some small solid and liquid particles.

Select the correct summary of the principal components of our atmosphere.

The distribution is uneven, with most of the coverage being on land in low-lying populated areas.

Select the statement below that accurately describes the global coverage of stations recording temperature spanning back many decades.

The Sun angle increases as the June Solstice approaches and decreases afterward as the December Solstice approaches.

Select the statement below that correctly describes the variation in Sun angle throughout the year for any location in the Northern Hemisphere north of 23.5ο N.

The larger the Sun angle, the greater the amount of insolation energy received.

Select the statement below that correctly relates the Sun angle to the amount of insolation energy received.

It requires a greater amount of energy to get water to change phases than it does to bring it to those points.

Select the statement below that is the accurate comparison between the amount of energy used to bring water to the melting and boiling points as compared to the amount needed to get the water to change phases at those points at sea level.

Locations poleward of 66.5ο north or south latitude experience periods of 24 hours of daylight and darkness. As you move farther away from the equator, the amount of yearly variation in daylight versus darkness increases.

Select the statements below that accurately describe how the amount of daylight varies during the year for different regions of Earth.

When Earth is closest to the Sun, it intercepts the most insolation. When Earth is at aphelion, it intercepts the least amount of insolation.

Select the statements below that accurately relate the distance Earth is from the Sun to the amount of insolation received.

32 F 273 K 0 C

Select the temperatures below that represent the freezing point of water at sea level.

sensible heat flux

The upward transmission of energy, mostly by convection, of warm air near the surface to greater altitudes

In general, lower amounts of insolation are received at higher latitudes. The highest values of received insolation are in subtropical deserts due, in part, to low cloud cover.

Select the ways in which the amount of insolation reaching Earth's surface varies spatially.

The highest amounts of OLR are in the tropics. OLR patterns are more varied over land than over the ocean.

Select the ways in which the average amount of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) varies on a global scale.

longwave radiation sensible heat latent heat

Shortwave radiation that reaches the Earth's surface can be converted to ______.

at the June Solstice

The Sun angle is at the highest

at the December Solstice.

The Sun angle is the lowest

least amount of insolation all year

The Sun is directly overhead of the Tropic of Cancer at the June Solstice. This results in the tropics in the Southern Hemisphere having the day when they receive the ______.

higher

The TSI of the Sun is ______ when there are a lot of sunspots.

global outgoing longwave radiation

The accounting of what happens to the longer wavelengths of energy that are leaving Earth is called the budget of ______.

releases heat

The act of water freezing ______ the surrounding air.

much greater than the

The amount of energy needed to evaporate water is ______ amount needed to get the water from the freezing point to the boiling point.

equinoxes soltices

The amount of insolation received by each hemisphere of Earth is equal at the March and September _________ and is most different at the December and June _________ .

latitude; incoming light

The amount of insolation received varies with ______ because the angle of ______ changes along with it.

nitrogen oxygen

The atmosphere is mostly composed of ___________ and _________gas.

ozone

The atmospheric gas ___________ absorbs most of the ultraviolet radiation in the atmosphere, shielding life from overexposure to ultraviolet radiation.

atmospheric window

The band of frequencies from 8 to 13 μm, located in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum through which energy can largely escape Earth unaffected, is called the ______.

pauses

The breaks between the layers of the atmosphere are called ______________

perihelion; aphelion

The date of Earth's closest approach to the Sun is called the ______ and the farthest approach (the most distant) is called the ______.

global shortwave-radiation

The description and summation of what happens to insolation on a global scale is called the ______ budget.

medium

The energy from the Sun cannot be transferred to Earth through conduction, convection, and advection because space lacks a ____________ through it would be transferred.

latent heat flux

The energy transfer that takes place as processes such as melting, evaporation, and transpiration from plants occur

25 C

The formula to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius is C = 5/9 x (F - 32). Use this formula to covert 77οF to the Celsius scale.

300 K

The formula to convert from the Celsius scale to the Kelvin scale is K = C + 273. Use this formula to convert 27 C to the Kelvin scale.

flares

The huge ejections of solar mass into space are called solar ________.

insolation

The incoming energy transmitted from the Sun to Earth is called ______.

weather climate

The interaction between Earth's atmosphere and surface determines the ______, ______, and habitability of an area.

The coldest object

The longest wavelengths

fusion

The main process by which the Sun generates electromagnetic radiation is nuclear __________, which is the joining of two smaller particles to create a larger one.

ozone

The photodissociation of oxygen molecules in the atmosphere can result in the formation of _________ as the liberated single oxygen atoms join with existing oxygen molecules.

orbital

The plane in which Earth revolves around the Sun is called the ______ plane.

atmosphere

The shields us from harmful high-energy rays from space, is the source of our weather and climate, and contains the gases life depends on.

scattered in the atmosphere

The sky appears mostly blue and violet because those colors are preferentially ______.

directly toward and away from the Sun, and the equinoxes occur when the tilt of Earth's axis is sideways to the Sun

The solstices occur when the axis of Earth's rotation points ______.

at either equinox

The sun angle is halfway between its highest and lowest

over a range of wavelengths

The temperature of an object is the average energy content of all its molecules. The fact that objects are not uniformly at one temperature explains why objects produce electromagnetic radiation ______.

when each hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, it experiences longer periods of night and less direct sunlight

The tilt of Earth with respect to the orbital plane is the cause of the seasons because ______.

areas of surplus to areas of deficit

The transfer of energy toward the poles occurs because energy flows from ______.

longwave energy flux

The transfer of radiation that takes place back and forth between the atmosphere and ground in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum

longer

The wavelengths representing ultraviolet (UV) radiation can be divided into three groups: UV-A, UC-B, and UV-C. The ______ the ultraviolet wavelength, the more likely it is to reach the surface of Earth. This explains why UV-A is the most abundant type of UV radiation at Earth's surface.

True

True or false: Potential energy can be stored within the molecular or atomic structure of matter.

Celsius

Used by most of the countries in the world; a relative scale calibrated to water Used by most of the countries in the world; a relative scale calibrated to water

Kelvin

Used mainly in science; an "absolute" scale where zero represents a lack of molecular motion

insolation received at Earth's surface

Variations in cloud cover, amount of daylight, Sun angles, and other factors contribute to variations in the amount of ______.

Joule

We use the unit measurement of a ___________ to specify the amount of heat in an object.

Bursts of intense energy and matter from the Sun directed out into space

What are solar flares?

The compressive weight of the overriding gases is greater lower in the atmosphere.

What causes the gases near Earth's surface to be more closely packed together than gases farther away from Earth's surface?

The direction of the tilt with respect to the Sun changes during the course of a year.

What change about Earth's tilted axis causes variation in daylight length for locations not on the equator?

The physical spacing of the water molecules

What changes in water as it shifts from a solid to a liquid to a gas?

The March Equinox The September Equinox

What days of the year do all latitudes of Earth experience the same amount of daylight and darkness?

the way Earth loses heat through emission of longwave radiation

What does the global outgoing longwave-radiation budget account for? It accounts for ______.

Atmosphere molecules are more closely spaced near the ground and thin out with distance away from Earth's surface.

What effect does gravity have on Earth's atmosphere?

UV-C UV-B

What forms of electromagnetic energy can cause ozone to photodissociate?

Longwave energy that is directed downward from the atmosphere

What is counter-radiation?

It is the incoming solar radiation.

What is insolation on Earth?

It is the energy released or stored when matter changes states.

What is latent energy or latent heat?

The heat that changes the temperature of two objects via the exchange of heat between them

What is sensible heat?

Some data suggests that sunspot numbers are related to changes in climate.

What is the best description of our current understanding between sunspots and climate?

The greater the number of sunspots, the greater the TSI.

What is the correlation between the number of sunspots and the total solar irradiance (TSI)?

The perihelion is the date of Earth's closest approach to the Sun, and aphelion is the date it is the farthest away from the Sun.

What is the difference between Earth's perihelion and its aphelion?

High-energy states require more energy to form.

What is the difference between high- and low-energy states?

An accounting for the destination of insolation on a global scale

What is the global shortwave-radiation budget?

Wien's Law

What is the name of the relationship that relates the temperature of an object to the dominant wavelength of the energy it emits?

Natural processes on Earth

What is the source of most aerosols and gases in the atmosphere?

The mesosphere

What layer of the atmosphere has a normal temperature gradient because it doesn't intercept insolation?

All require a medium for transferring energy, and there is no medium in the vacuum of space.

What prevents conduction, convection, and advection from transferring energy generated in the Sun to Earth?

Photodissociation caused by the absorption of ultraviolet radiation, which is the same process that helps form it

What process is responsible for the natural destruction of ozone?

low-level

What type of clouds are better reflectors of insolation?

sensible

What type of heat changes the temperature of two objects by way of heat flux?

latent

When potential energy is related to a change in the state of matter (e.g., gas to a liquid), we call it ______ energy.

the maximum energy possible

When the Sun is directly overhead of an observer, the Sun angle is 90° and the amount of insolation received is ______.

It was stored as latent heat as liquid water evaporated to form water vapor.

When water vapor in the sky condenses to form raindrops, heat is released. How could that released heat have come from Earth's surface?

Within the structure itself

Where can energy be stored in an atomic or molecular structure?

The interaction of energy with Earth's atmosphere and surface

Which of the following is the most important factor in determining the weather, climate, and habitability of an area?

It is one of the four fundamental forces of nature.

Which of the following statements is accurate for electromagnetic radiation?

The amount of insolation received varies from place to place.

Which of the following statements is true regarding the insolation striking Earth?

Yellow light from the Sun passes through the atmosphere by day but is filtered out by the longer passage through the atmosphere at dusk and dawn.

Why does the Sun appear yellow during the day and sometimes a reddish-orange color at sunrise and sunset?

The amount of daylight varies across Earth. Sun angles vary with latitude. The amount and type of cloud cover varies spatially.

Why does the amount of insolation reaching Earth's surface vary on a global scale?

There is a balance between the amount of incoming and outgoing radiation.

Why does the average global surface temperature on Earth remain fairly stable?

Because the axial tilt of Earth results in the circle of illumination moving during the year with respect to the poles

Why does the length of daylight vary through the year for locations not at the equator?

There is a greater distance over which atmospheric attenuation can absorb or reflect insolation.

Why does traveling a greater distance through the atmosphere reduce the amount of insolation that strikes the ground?

It absorbs a lot of ultraviolet radiation that can damage living cells and DNA.

Why is ozone important to life on Earth?

Some wavelengths of EM energy are more strongly absorbed, scattered, or reflected than other wavelengths in the atmosphere.

Why is the spectrum of electromagnetic (EM) energy received at the top of the atmosphere different from the spectrum of EM energy received at sea level?

temperature

Wien's Law describes the relationship between the ___________ of an object to the dominant wavelength of EMR.

albedo

______ is defined as the ability of an object to reflect insolation.

Greenhouse

_____________ gases strongly absorb outgoing longwave radiation and re-emit it again as heat. This keeps the atmosphere warmer than it otherwise would be.

clouds

_______________ represent about 20% of the planetary albedo on average, but the amount of albedo they cause at any one time or location can widely vary.

stratosphere

absorbs UV radiation due to the presence of ozone

thermosphere

absorbs most of the very shortest and most energetic electromagnetic radiation (X-rays and gamma rays)

17%

insolation Absorbed by dust and molecules in the atmosphere

20%

insolation Reflected by clouds

49%

insolation absorbed by the ground

electromagnetic

radiation is the fundamental force of nature that transmits energy to us from the Sun and is fundamental in determining our weather and climate.

liquid

the intermediate energy state

an object with an intermediate temperature

the intermediate wavelengths

solid

the least energetic state

gas

the most energetic state

the hottest object

the shortest wavelengths