Seasons and greenhouse gas simulator lab
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School
University of Missouri, Columbia *
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Course
2300
Subject
Astronomy
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
docx
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3
Uploaded by UltraThunderDuck36
Name__Sydney Bell. 4/28/23______________
This lab will be looking at two computer simulations. The first is looking at seasons and the second is looking at greenhouse gasses.
Part A:
https://sepuplhs.org/middle/iaes/students/simulations/sepup_seasons5.html
Season questions
Using the simulator, select the Earth’s tilt to 23.5 and show the tropics/Equator.
Look at the data for the 12 months of the year by advancing the simulator month 12 times.
Of the 4 cities, (Anchorage, Chicago, Quito and Melbourne)
1.
What city has the greatest variation in temperature?
Melbourne, Australia has the greatest variation in temperature. 2.
What city has the highest monthly temperature? 2b. What month is this city having the high temperature? Melbourne, Australia has the highest monthly temperature. February has the highest temperature. 3.
What city has the most variation in day length?
Anchorage, Alaska has the most variation in day length. 4.
What city has the most consistent day length throughout the year? Quito, Ecuador has the most consistent day length throughout the year. 5.
In the lower right portion of the simulator, you can see the distance from the Sun to the Earth. What month are we closest to the Sun?
In January, we are closest to the Sun.
6.
What moth are we furthest from the Sun.
In July, we are furthest from the Sun. Now let us look at what would happen in the Earth were not tilted. Switch the Earth’s tilt to 0 degrees.
7.
What would the day length be in all of the cities in December?
The day length would be 12 hours in all cities in December. 8.
What would the day length be in all of the cities in June?
The day length would be 12 hours in all cities in June. 9.
What city has the highest annual temperature with no tilt? Quito, Ecuador has the highest annual temperature, with no tilt.
10.
In your own words explain why we have seasons based on this Season’s interactive simulator. We have seasons because of the way the Earth is tilted on its axis as it orbits around the Sun. The Earth's axis is tilted at an angle relative to its orbit around the Sun, which means that at different times of the year, different parts of the Earth receive direct sunlight. As the Earth orbits around the Sun, the tilt of its
axis remains the same, so the seasons occur in a predictable cycle. The interactive simulator shows this by allowing you to adjust the tilt of
the Earth's axis and see how it affects the amount and angle of sunlight that different parts of the Earth receive.
Phet Model of Greenhouse Gasses
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/greenhouse-effect/latest/greenhouse-
effect_en.html
Open the Phet Greenhouse Effect simulator, and start the simulator, change the temperature units to Fahrenheit and use the slider on the right portion of
the simulator to “none” greenhouse gasses.
11.
As the simulator runs, look at the Energy wavelengths and describe what is happening.
This emission spectrum is due to the Earth's surface and atmosphere emitting thermal radiation, which is a natural process that occurs because of the Earth's temperature. The temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere is determined by the balance between incoming energy from the Sun and outgoing energy emitted by the Earth. In the simulator, when greenhouse gases are set to "none", the energy emitted by the Earth can escape directly into space without being absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This results in a constant emission spectrum at all wavelengths. 12.
What wavelength is longer? (Sunlight, infrared, or they are the same wavelength)
Infrared wavelength is longer than visible sunlight. Sunlight consists of a range of wavelengths, including visible light and ultraviolet light, with visible light having shorter wavelengths than infrared. Infrared radiation has longer wavelengths than visible light and is not visible to the human eye.
13.
What is the temperature for this simulation?
The temperature for this simulation is -.2 degrees Fahrenheit. Now slide the Greenhouse Gas Concentration slider bar about halfway up.
14.
Describe in your own words what changes occur with the greenhouse gasses present. As the greenhouse gasses come into picture, the infrared wavelengths are splitting into a thinner and a thicker area. When greenhouse gases are present in the Earth's atmosphere, they absorb and re-radiate some of the thermal radiation emitted by the Earth's surface and atmosphere, which causes the greenhouse effect. This regulates Earths temps and makes it suitable for life. 15.
What is the new temperature with greenhouse gas concentration
halfway up.
The temperature with greenhouse gas concentration halfway up is 56.4
degrees Fahrenheit. Without changing the Greenhouse gas concentration, (same levels as question and 15), add clouds by clicking the cloud checkbox.
16.
Describe in your own words what happens to your model.
After adding clouds to the model, there is a skinnier wavelength that travels out of the first wavelength and heads upwards at a little angle. 17.
What is the temperature of the Earth under these settings (question 16).
The temperature of the Earth under these settings in 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit.
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