Earth's atmosphere is mostly transparent to incoming sunlight, but opaque to the infrared light radiated upward by earth's surface. If we model the atmosphere as a single layer, then equilibrium requires that earth's surface receive as much energy from the atmosphere as from the sun. Illustrate the figure ?
Earth's atmosphere is mostly transparent to incoming sunlight, but opaque to the infrared light radiated upward by earth's surface. If we model the atmosphere as a single layer, then equilibrium requires that earth's surface receive as much energy from the atmosphere as from the sun.
Illustrate the figure ?
The atmosphere covering the Earth is made up of gasses, water vapor, dust, and other colloidal particles. This atmosphere not only makes the Earth habitable but also protects the organisms from incoming solar Ultraviolet radiation. Solar radiation travels through this atmosphere, getting scattered in the process before reaching the Earth's surface. By studying the interactions and the pollutants in the atmosphere, we can estimate the rate by which the global temperatures would rise in the near future.
The energy emitted by the Sun is in the form of shortwave radiation. Most of the gases present within the atmosphere act as greenhouse gases and therefore let the shortwave radiation pass through and heat the Earth's surface. But the radiation emitted by the Earth is in the form of long wave radiation (infrared) absorbed by the atmosphere and reemitted back to the Earth. In this way, the total energy emitted by the Sun passes through the atmosphere to the Earth's surface. Still, the atmosphere does not allow the energy emitted by the Earth to pass through and, as a result, causes global warming.
.jpg)
Step by step
Solved in 3 steps with 1 images
