Name: _____________________
Topic 6 – Insolation & the Seasons
Solar Radiation and Insolation (p.85)
1. Describe the relationship between temperature
and the wavelength of electromagnetic energy
emitted from a body of matter. The higher
temperature of a body of matter the shorter
the wavelength.
2. Define INSOLATION:
THE PORTION OF THE SUN’S OUTPUT
OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION THAT IS
RECEIVED BY EARTH
SUNLIGHT!
INCOMING SOLAR RADIATION
3. What form of electromagnetic energy does the
sun radiate with the maximum intensity? (figure
6-1)
VISIBLE LIGHT
Effects of Earth’s Atmosphere on Insolation
(p.86)
Name: _____________________
Topic 6 – Insolation & the Seasons
4. What happens to some of the insolation before it
reaches the Earth’s surface?
ABSORBED, REFLECTED, SCATTERED, REFRACTED
Absorption of Ultraviolet and Infrared
5. What molecule in Earth’s upper atmosphere
absorbs most of the ultraviolet radiation?
OZONE
6. What has recently been happening to the amount
of ozone in the atmosphere?
OZONE IS BEING REDUCED BY CHLORINE AND
FLOURINE (CFC’S)
7. What health problems can occur if too much
ultraviolet radiation is absorbed by a human
SKIN CANCER
8. What molecules in the atmosphere absorb long
wave radiation
CARBON DIOXIDE, WATER VAPOR and methane
Reflection and Scattering
Name: _____________________
Topic 6 – Insolation & the Seasons
9. What does incident mean?
incoming
10. What do clouds do to incoming radiation?
Reflect some energy back to space. Some is
reflected toward Earth’s surface.
11.
What do aerosols cause?
Destroy ozone
Balance of Energy from Insolation and Earth’s
Surface Radiation (p.87)
12. Over large periods of time what is generally
the amount of energy the Earth absorbs and
emits?
Energy in = Energy out
Dynamic equilibrium
Factors Affecting Absorption and Reflection of
Insolation
13. How does the angle of insolation (angle of
incidence or altitude of the sun) affect the
amount of energy absorbed?
Name: _____________________
Topic 6 – Insolation & the Seasons
The straighter the angle (closer to 90º) the more
energy that is absorbed
Surface characteristics
14. Describe how texture and color affect
absorption of insolation.
Rougher surfaces absorb more than smooth surfaces
Darker colors absorb more than lighter colors
Changes of State and Transpiration
15. Define transpiration: plants releasing water
vapor into the air.
Land and Water Heating
16. Why does water heat up slower than land?
a. Water has a higher specific heat than land
b. Water is more transparent than land
c. Water reflects more sunlight
d. Water flows freely so convection can occur
Name: _____________________
Topic 6 – Insolation & the Seasons
The Greenhouse Effect (p.88)
17.
Earth’s surface radiation consists mostly of
Infrared Radiation
18. What molecules absorb long wave radiation?
Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapor
19.
These molecules are called
GREENHOUSE GASES
20. How does carbon dioxide (CO2) get into the
atmosphere?
The burning of wood and fossil fuels (Coal and
Oil)
21. If the Earth’s global temperature increases
why would sea level rise?
Melting Glaciers and Sea Ice
Answer questions 1-10 on pp.88 & 89
Variation of Insolation (p.89)
22. In what two ways does insolation vary?
Intensity and Duration
Name: _____________________
Topic 6 – Insolation & the Seasons
Variation in Intensity of Insolation
23. What angle of incidence produces the
maximum intensity of insolation? 90 degrees
Effect of Earth’s Shape (p.90)
24. If the Earth were flat and perpendicular to
the sun, how would the angle of incidence and the
intensity of insolation change with location on
the Earth’s surface?
It would be the same every where on earth.
Effect of Latitude
25. On what dates is the intensity of insolation
greatest at the equator?
March 21 and September 23 (equinox’s)
26. On June 21st, where is the intensity of
insolation the greatest?
Tropic of Cancer (23.5 degrees North)
27. On December 21st, where is the intensity of
insolation the greatest?
Tropic of Capricorn (23.5 degrees South)
Effect of Seasonal Changes (p.91)
28. Why does the angle of incidence change for
any given latitude? It varies with the seasons.
Name: _____________________
Topic 6 – Insolation & the Seasons
Effect of Time of Day
29. Describe how the angle of incidence changes
throughout the day.
Around zero at sunrise and maximum at solar
noon and back to zero at sunset.
Increases until noon and decreases to sunset.
Variation in Duration of Insolation (p.92)
30. When is the duration of insolation the
longest? Shortest?
It is longest on June 21st and shortest on
December 21st(Summer and Winter Solstice)
Effects of latitude and season
31. Compare the number of daylight hours of
northern areas to southern areas on the summer
solstice (June 21st). Northern Hemisphere has
more hours of Daylight than Southern
Hemisphere.
Relationship of Surface Temperatures to
Insolation
Name: _____________________
Topic 6 – Insolation & the Seasons
32.
Surface temperature depends on the
balance of what? Energy being gained from
insulation and energy being lost from reradiation.
33.
How does the intensity of insolation affect
surface temperatures? If the intensity of
insulation greater than the higher the surface
temperature.
34.
How does the duration of insolation affect
surface temperatures? The temperature is
higher when the duration of insulation is longer.
Times of Yearly Maximum and Minimum
Temperatures
35. When does the maximum surface
temperature usually occur for mid-latitudes in
the Northern Hemisphere?
End of July and Early August
Name: _____________________
Topic 6 – Insolation & the Seasons
36. Why doesn’t’ the maximum surface
temperature occur on the day of maximum
insolation? It takes time for earth’s surface to
reradiate enough energy to heat up the
atmosphere.
Time of Daily Maximum and Minimum
Temperatures
37.
When is the hottest part of the day? NOT
NOON (2PM OR 3PM)
38.
When is the maximum intensity of
insolation? NOON
Answer questions 11 -31 on pp.93 -95.
Heat Budget and Climate Change (p.95)
39. Define heat budget: The overall balance of
energy (Coming in and going out from Earths
Surface.)
Ice Ages and Long, Warm periods on Earth
Name: _____________________
Topic 6 – Insolation & the Seasons
40. During what geologic time period did the last
ice age occur? Pleistocene
El Nińo and Nińa Events (p.96)
41. What happens during an El Nińo event?
Causes major climate repercussions world
wide.
Global Warming (p.97)
42. What has happened to the global average
temperature of Earth since 1860?
Going UP and UP and UP
Causes of Heat Budget Shifts (p.98)
Changes in Solar Energy
43. Describe the relationship between the
number of sunspots and the Sun’s energy output.
As the number of sunspots increases the more
electromagnetic energy the sun emits.
Changes in the Earth’s Orbit and Axis Tilt
Name: _____________________
Topic 6 – Insolation & the Seasons
44. Over what kind of time period do the tilt of
the Earth’s axis and the eccentricity of Earth’s
orbit change? Over thousands of years
Volcanic Eruptions and Climate Changes
45. How could the eruption of Pinatubo affect
global temperatures? Cooler temperatures
occurs. Addition of a lot of ash goes into the
atmosphere and cools the earth.
Human Causes
46.
Does deforestation cause the global
temperatures to rise or fall? RISE
47.
How does urbanization, contribute to the
greenhouse effect? It results in clearing of land
and trees to construct buildings.
As carbon dioxide increases temperature of the
earth increases.
Name: _____________________
Topic 6 – Insolation & the Seasons
Answer questions 32 – 38 on p.99
Seasons (p.99)
48. Describe the seasonal variation in
temperature of locations near the equator.
It has little seasonal variation.
Direct Causes of the Seasons
49. What causes the shift in the angle of
incidence?
The tilt of earths axis.
Astronomical Causes of the Seasons (p.100)
50. What are the three astronomical causes of
the seasons?
Tilt, parallelism of Axis, and revolution
Tilt of Earth’s Axis
51. What would happen to the seasons if Earth
were tilted more than 23.5º?
There would be warmer summers and colder winters.
Name: _____________________
Topic 6 – Insolation & the Seasons
Parallelism of Earth’s Axis
52.
To what star does the north end of Earth’s
axis always point? Polaris
Revolution of the Earth around the Sun
53.
Which end of the Earth’s axis is tilted
toward the sun on June 21st? The northern
hemisphere is the Tropic of Cancer.
54.
Which end of the Earth’s axis is tilted
toward the sun on December 21st?
Tropic of Capricorn (Southern)
55.
How is the axis of rotation inclined to the
sun on March 21st and September 23rd? The
equator is parallel to the sun. Its NOT
Small Seasonal Effect of Earth’s Elliptical Orbit
(p.101)
56. Compare the seasonal variation on the
Northern Hemisphere to the Southern
Name: _____________________
Topic 6 – Insolation & the Seasons
Hemisphere. In the winter the Northern
Hemisphere occurs when the earth is closest to
the sun.
The seasonal swing is bigger in the Southern
Hemisphere.