Atmosphere Part 2

Variation in Global Insolation

the characteristics of material affect both
how much insolation the material
absorbs and how the absorbed energy
affects the temperature.
water and land warm up and cool off at
different rates.
Because water has a high specific heat, it
can absorb large amounts of heat energy
before it begins to get hot. It also means
that water releases heat energy slowly
when situations cause it to cool. Water's
high specific heat allows for the
moderation of the Earth's climate and

Summer Temperature
How do coastal temperatures compare with inland
temperatures?

http://www.mattnoyes.net/.a/6a00d83451c01c69e2016305b5efeb970d-500wi

Winter Temperature
How do coastal temperatures compare with inland
temperatures?

http://contours.weatherforyou.com/contours/wx4u_320x240/currents/usme_temperature_i5_points.png

Factors that affect the intensity of insolation

depends on the angle at which suns rays strike Earths surface.
at 90 degrees angle, the Earth receives the maximum amount of
energy.
as the angle of insolation decreases, the energy per unit area decreases
(rays are spread out over large area and travels farther through the
atmosphere)

Factors that affect the intensity of insolation

Time of the day: the intensity of insolation
is greatest at noon; the highest
temperature is in the afternoon.
Latitude: differences between equator
and poles because of the angle of sun
rays.
Time of year: seasonal changes in the
amount of sunlight reaching locations on
Earth.
Cloud cover: clouds reflect a significant
amount of insolation back into space.

Seasonal
Changes

Occur because
the earths axis is
tilted
Creates opposite
seasons in the
northern and
southern
hemisphere
Factor that
determines global
air circulation
patterns

http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~joel/g110_w08/lecture_notes/sun_angle/agburt02_12

Air Pressure and Wind

Air pressure = the weight of the
atmosphere as it pushes down upon
Earths surface.
decreases as elevation increases (50%
for each 5 km elevation)
temperature and humidity affect air
pressure as well: warm air=less
pressure; cool air=more pressure; more
water in the atmosphere=less pressure

Changes in air pressure = a way of forecasting the weather

a decrease in air pressure signals the

approach of warmer, more humid air,
along with rain or snow.
an increase in air pressure signals the
arrival of cooler, dry air and fair weather.

 Isobar=a line that joins points having the same air pressure
High pressure area or high= area defined by isobars where air
pressure steadily increases toward the center of a closed isobar.
Air pressure decreases toward the center of a set of closed
isobars and the area inclosed is a low pressure area or low
closely spaced isobars=strong pressure gradient and strong
winds
widely spaced isobars=week pressure gradient and week winds

Wind
winds are caused by unequal heating of
Earths surface; move from high pressure
to low pressure areas.

Factors affecting winds

The Coriolis Effect = the tendency of an

object moving freely over Earths surface to
curve away from its path of travel.

in the Northern Hemisphere the path will curve to the right.

in the Southern Hemisphere the path will curve to the left.

Coriolis effect on wind

Global wind Patterns

Because the Earth rotates, the Coriolis effect
prevents air from flowing straight from the
equator to the poles;
air flowing northward from the equator is
deflected to its right
air flowing southward from the equator is
deflected to the left.
the air cools and sinks before it reaches the
polar regions.

Global Air Circulation

Cold deserts

Air cools and

descends at
lower
latitudes.
Warm air rises
and moves
toward the
poles.
Air cools and
descends at
lower
latitudes.

60N

Westerlies

Forests

Northeast trades
Hot deserts

30N

Forests
Equator 0

Southeast trades Hot deserts

Westerlies

Forests
Cold deserts
60S

30S

Solar energy

The highest
solar energy
input is at the
equator.

Fig. 7-3, p. 142

Three-celled Circulation Model

Review
answer all questions in your binder

What factors affect global insolation?

How does the angle at which sunlight strikes the Earths
surface affect the intensity of the sunlight?
Why is it warmer near the equator than near the poles?
Compare and contrast a sea-breeze circulation with a landbreeze circulation.
What is air pressure? How does air pressure vary with
elevation?
Compare and contrast high and low pressure areas
Explain why humid air is lighter than dry air.
Describe the three-celled circulation model.