Albedo
Fraction of solar radiation reaching earth that is reflected back into space
Aphelion
The place in the Earth's orbit where Earth is farthest away from the sun.
Analemma
A diagram that shows the declination of the sun throughout the year
The figure-8 path traced by the Sun over the course of a year when viewed at the same place and the same time each day; represents the discrepancies between apparent and mean solar time.
Angle of Inclination (Declination)
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Angle of Solar Incidence
Shows how the sun's rays hit and spread across the earth's surface. It is from the sun angling down to the earth's surface. The higher the sun the less dispersed the rays are. The lower the sun the more dispersed the rays are and the less intense they will be. \
Antarctic Circle
66 1/2 degrees south latitude
Arctic Circle
66 1/2 degrees North
Earth's Axis
What is the imaginary line that passes through earth's center at the north and south poles called
Beam Spread
A general term describing the angle between the two directions opposed to each other over the beam axis for which the luminous intensity is a certain fraction of that of the maximum luminous intensity. The amount of that fraction needs to be given in each specific case.
Circle of Illumination
The great circle that separates daylight from darkness.
Closed System
A system in which no matter is allowed to enter or leave
Conduction
Form of heat transfer where heat energy is directly transferred between molecules through molecular collisions or direct contact.
Convection
The movement of matter due to differences in density that are caused by temperature variations
Dalton's Law
The total pressure in a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the individual pressures of each gas
the total pressure of a mixture of gasses is the sum of the pressures of the individual gases
Equinox
Two times of the year when days and nights are of equal length
Two times of the year when hemisphere is tilted toward or away from the sun
Equator
An imaginary line drawn around the earth equally distant from both poles
Divides the earth into northern and southern hemispheres and constituting the parallel of latitude 0�.
Global Warming
An increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere because of the greenhouse gasses (very C02 high) and causes climatic changes
Global Energy Balance
balance between incoming energy from the Sun and outgoing heat from the Earth (regulates Earth's climate)
Gradient
an incline or slope; the rate of incline
Greenhouse Effect
Natural situation in which heat is retained in Earth's atmosphere by carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other gases
Heat
Energy in transit due to a temperature difference between the source from which the energy is coming and a sink toward which the energy is going.
Insolation
incoming solar radiation
Interpolate
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Isotherm
A line on a weather map that joins places that have the same temperature.
Kepler's Law of Planetary Motion
planets don't have circular orbits but they follow elliptical orbits with the sun at one focus. they move fastest when closest to the sun.
Langley Calculation
Used to find the dispersion of the sun's rays on the earth's surface. The larger the langley value the more dispersed the sun's rays are and the less intense they will be.
Latent Heat
heat absorbed or radiated during a change of phase at a constant temperature and pressure
the heat required to convert a solid into a liquid or vapor, or a liquid into a vapor, without change of temperature.
Latitude
Distance north or south of the equator
An imaginary line around the Earth parallel to the equator
Longwave Radiation
This radiation is emitted by Earth. Wavelengths are roughly 20 times longer than those emitted by the Sun.
Parallelism
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Perihelion
orbital point nearest the sun
Plane of the Ecliptic
Imaginary plane that connects the Earth and the sun
Poleward Transfer of Heat
The three mechanisms involved in poleward heat transport are air mass exchange, storm systems, and ocean currents
Radiative Equilibrium
Amount of radiation emitted=amount of radiations absorbed
Revolution
One full orbit around the sun
Rotation
The spinning of Earth on its axis
Sensible Heat
Heat energy that brings about a change in temperature. Occurs in Conduction and Convection
Shortwave Radiation
this type of radiation is able to pass through our atmosphere and is the energy that drives our climate system
Solar Elevation and Calculation
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Solstice
The two days of the year on which the sun reaches its greatest distance north or south of the equator
Specific Heat
Amount of heat required to raise one gram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius; heat capacity.
Stefan-Boltzman law
Hotter objects emit more energy than cooler ones
Sub-Solar Point
The subsolar point is an area where the sun's rays shine perpendicular to the Earth's surface�a right angle. Only during an equinox is the Earth's 23.5-degree axis not tilting toward or away from the sun: the center of the sun is in the same plane as the Equator. Most planets experience equinoxes.
Tangent point
Where the sun's rays hit the earth's surface. Need two tangent points: the northernmost and southernmost points of light to make the circle of illumination. Usually are 66 1/2 degrees north (arctic circle) and 66 1/2 degrees south (antarctic circle). Points are off of the line/circle of illumination and arch to the side of the earth in a solstice, and in an equinox the tangent points are on the axis.
Temperature
A measure of how hot (or cold) something is; specifically, a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in an object.
Temperature Controls
The process where the change of temperature is measured and the passage of heat energy in "space" is adjusted to achieve a desired average temperature.
Temperature Gradient
The amount of temperature change per unit of distance.
Tropic of Cancer
23/1/2 North
Tropic of Capricorn
23/1/2 South
Earth/Sun Relationship
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Wien's Law
The higher the object's temperature, the shorter the wavelength (higher the frequency) of the peak for the light emitted by the object
Zenith Angle
A vertical angle measured downward from the zenith (upward plumb line) direction
Factors of Seasonality
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Global Energy Balance
The balance between incoming energy from the Sun and outgoing heat from the Earth
It regulates the Earth's climate
Global Warming and The Greenhouse Effect
Releases more carbon into the atmosphere which causes an over load.
Heat Transfer
the movement of energy from a warmer object to a cooler object
Sun Angle determination and Dispersion
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Layers of the Atmosphere
Bottom to top: Troposphere,tropopause,stratosphere,stratopause,mesosphere,mesopause,thermosphere,thermopause