ENVIRSC 1C03 Lecture Notes - Background Radiation, Suspended Solids, Radiative Cooling
25 May 2018
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EnvirSc 1C03 – Exam Notes
DEFINITIONS
– ability of a system to function over time; generation has to meet its needs without
preventing future generations from meeting their needs
– thin blue region along the edge of the earth; mix of gas molecules, small suspended
solid and liquid particles, falling precipitation; composed of Nitrogen and Oxygen
– liquid realm of earth (fresh, salt, frozen); frozen part = cryosphere
– encompasses solid earth; includes all rock and geological material making up the
planet; soil = petosphere
– encompasses all life on earth (plants, animals, humans)
– Water Vapour: source = hydrologic cycle; CO2: traps a portion of earths outgoing
radiant energy; Methane: effective absorber of terrestrial radiation, source = fossil
fuel activities, cows digestion in stomach, agriculture cultivation
– any solid or liquid particle (other than H2O) that exists in the atmosphere;
contribute to precipitation processes and decrease amount of sunlight reaching
earths surface
– in lower atmosphere, the temperature drops with altitude; ELR = rate of decrease
– lowest and thinnest of the vertical layers of atmosphere; where weather
processes occur; the top is where temperature stops cooling (tropopause) and
separates from stratosphere
– temperature increases with elevation caused by absorption of UV radiation by the
ozone
– coldest layer; temperature decreases with height (little ozone to absorb solar
radiation)
– upper-most layer; merges with space; temperature increases with height
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– not a layer; electrified region within the upper atmosphere; large concentration of
ions and free electrons exist
– any human addition of any material or heat energy in amounts that cause
undesired alterations to the environment
– gas, aerosol, or particulate added to the atmosphere that can have harmful effects
or affect climate
– direct products of combustion or evaporation; harmful to the environment and
humans (volcanic eruptions, burning vegetation, dust storms)
– products of interactions of primary pollutants with constituents of the atmosphere
and sunlight (nitric acid, NO2, ozone)
– one controllable source (smoke stacks)
– open areas exposed to wind action (land clearing)
– well-defined areas within which are several sources of pollutants (small urban
communities)
– move from place to place while emitting pollutants (cars, trucks, buses)
– forms when oxygen atoms (O) combine with oxygen molecules (O2); majority
found in stratosphere
– gives energy to earth; surface = photosphere
– energy transferred from the sun to earth (radiation); travels in waves
– when more of light striking an object bounces backwards than forwards, radiation
is reflected
– solar radiation that passes through air unimpeded; absorbed at earths surface
– describes incoming solar radiation
– percent of radiation returning from a surface (reflected) compared to amount of
radiation initially striking it
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– heat transferred by conduction (molecule to molecule)
– transfer of heat from molecule to molecule within a substance
– air can carry heat rapidly through convection (occurs in liquids and gases)
– energy required to change a substance (H2O) from one phase to another
– marks beginning of summer in Northern Hemisphere and beginning of winter in
Southern Hemisphere; longest day in North, shortest in South; 24hour daylight in
Arctic Circle, 24hour night in Antarctica
– latitude where sun is directly overhead at noon
– beginning of winter in N.H and summer in S.H; shortest day in N, longest day in S;
24hour daylight in Antarctica, 24hour night in Arctic Circle
– separates portion of earth that is illuminated from portion that is not
– subsolar point is at equator; no tilt toward/away from sun; everywhere on earth
there is 12h daylight
– greater seasonal change with greater distance from equator
– rainforests, no seasonal cycle, warm temperature throughout year
– driest deserts, no seasonal cycle, warm temperature
– suns height in sky varies throughout year, seasonal contrasts are strong (not as
strong as subarctic zone)
– mostly covered by evergreen forest, extreme variations in day length throughout
year, enormous contrasts between seasons and insulation between solstices
– surface of large body of water heats and cools faster than land, therefore acts as
temperature regulator
– hot days, cool nights
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