Topic 3 - Climate Change

Refers to the state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time.

• The long-term pattern of a weather conditions in a particular area, typically observed over a period of 30 years or more. • Scientists classify the climate of a certain place by studying 2 main features: temperature and precipitation.

Refers to the balance between the Earth receives from the sun and the energy it radiates back into space.

All light measured on spectrum.

Invisible, causes sunburns, skin cancers and eye damage and is absorbed in the mesosphere.

Felt as heat, is absorbed by the troposphere and the Earth’s surface.

Colours that can be seen by the human eye, is absorbed and reflected by the Earth’s surface. Reflected light becomes infrared.

• Refers to the amount if light a surface reflects. • Light surfaces have a high albedo (reflect more light) • Dark surfaces have a low albedo (absorb more light)

• The atmosphere is made up of many greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, etc.) • Greenhouse gasses absorb infrared radiation. • The absorption of solar radiation in the troposphere is what maintains Earth’s surface temperature (IMPORTANT!) • More GHG = more trapped heat = hotter temperature

• The amount of energy the sun produces follows a pattern. • There are times a lot of energy is produced (solar maximum) and times a low amount of energy is produced (solar minimum) • The whole cycles lasts ~ 11 years