espere Environmental Science Published for Everyobody Round the Earth
Printer friendly version of this page
Home    Contact    Encyclopaedia    Mobility    International    PDF    magazine    - ? -   
Clouds and Particles
basics
1. Clouds
2. Particles
3. Sun and clouds
- Albedo
- Clouds and climate
- Rainbows
* Worksheet 1
* Worksheet 2
* Worksheet 3
Links
PDF
more
     
 

Download

 
 
clouds and particles

Clouds & Particles

Basics


3. Sun and clouds


Worksheet 3

 

 

basicsmore
basicsmore
basicsmore
basicsmore
basicsmore
basicsmore
basicsmore
basicsmore
 

  

1. The albedo of the Earth

When sunlight strikes the Earth, how much of it is:

a) reflected?
b) transmitted?
c) absorbed? What happens to the radiation which is absorbed?

     

2. The Earth's radiation energy per second

The average amount of radiation energy (mainly light) that strikes the Earth every second is:

1.7×1017 joules

This corresponds to the amount of electrical energy consumed by Norway over 150 days or the amount of electricity consumed over the whole of Europe every week.

How much of this energy from the Sun is reflected? How much is absorbed? Approximately how much infra-red radiation (heat) do you think the Earth radiates back into space each second? Give a reason for your answer.


 

sun energy warming the earth

1.  Photo: NASA

 

clipart

2.   Image: Microsoft clipart

3. The Earth's night-time blanket 

How do cloudy night-time skies resemble the blanket you put over you when you sleep?

 

 

4. Positive and negative feedback effects

One of the effects clouds have on climate is a positive feedback loop:

A hotter climate means more evaporation 
-> more clouds
-> more heat radiation from the Earth is trapped and sent back to the ground by the clouds 
-> a hotter climate 
-> more evaporation 
-> more clouds
-
and so on.

Clouds also have an effect on climate which is a negative feedback loop. Describe this!

 

positive and negative feedback effects

3. Positive and negative feedback effects
Photo: NOAA

 


About this page:
Authors: Ellen K. Henriksen and Camilla Schreiner - University of Oslo - Norway. Scientific reviewer: Justine Gourdeau - LaMP Clermont ferrand - France - 2004-01-13. Last update: 2004-03-27.

  

 top

ESPERE / ACCENT

last updated 02.03.2006 21:00:22 | © ESPERE-ENC 2003 - 2013