GEO 110 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Radiative Forcing, Black Carbon, Transpiration
14 Oct 2017
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Insolation decreases toward the poles, from about 25o latitude in both the northern and the southern hemisphere: greater insolation occurs in low-latitude deserts worldwide because of frequent cloudless skies, scattering and diffuce radiation. Earthshine: earthshine is four times greater than moonlight (four times the albedo), and with the earth four times greater in diameter than the moon, absorption. Insolation, both direct and diffuse, that are not reflected are absorbed. It is the assimilation of radiation by molecules of matter, converting the radiation from one form of energy to another. Earth"s at(cid:373)osphere (cid:272)alled the greenhouse effect: air pollutants from both natural and anthropogenic sources affect atmospheric albedo. Increase in global atmospheric albedo which cools the earth (volcanos: volcanos erupt and spread smoke and dirt which is carried by wind. Industrial pollutants such as sulfate aerosols are increasing the reflectivity of the atmosphere.
