GEOG 3110 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Photon, Rayleigh Scattering, Mie Scattering
5 Mar 2018
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Document Summary
Tilt of the earth"s axis causes the major seasonal variation. Longer daylight hours at the north pole during the summer. Longer darkness at the north pole during the winter. Solar radiation reaching the top of the earth"s atmosphere: Normal to atmosphere (perpendicular) variations in solar output. Evolution of the sun over long periods of time. Sunspots are convective activity in the upper layer of the sun over long periods of time. Number of variations with peaks - 11 years. Earth has an elliptical orbit around the sun. Nearest around 147 mil km - perihelion - jan 3. Farthest around 152 mil km - aphelion - july 3. More variation moving from equator to the poles, solar radiation varies. Reflection: the complete change in direction of the radiation. Scattering: a change in direction of travel of the photon. Does not tend to scatter shorter wavelengths like rayleigh. Dependent on thickness cirrus < cumulus < stratus.
