Chapter 2 Assignment METO

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Utah Valley University *

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1010

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Geography

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Feb 20, 2024

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docx

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2

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METO 1010 Aug 30, 2022 Heating the Earth's Surface and Atmosphere 1. Explain what causes the Sun angle and length of daylight to change throughout the year. The Earth's axis tilts and rotates along its orbit around the Sun, which causes the Sun to rise and set at different times throughout the year, and the number of daylight hours varies throughout the year due to the Earth's orbit around the Sun. In basic terms, these changes in the length of daylight hours can be attributed to the tilt of the Earth's axis as it rotates and orbits around the sun throughout the year. 2. Describe how changing sun angle and length of day causes seasonal changes.  Longer daylight hours result in warmer days throughout the year due to the gradual change of daylight hours. Solar energy reaching Earth's surface depends on the angle of the Sun above the horizon.  Seasons are caused by Earth's tilted axis. In different parts of the Earth, the Sun's rays are most direct throughout the year. The Northern Hemisphere experiences summer when the North Pole tilts toward the Sun. And when the South Pole tilts toward the Sun, the northern hemisphere experiences winter. 3. What is the significance of the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn? In order to understand Earth's geography, it is important to know that the Tropic of Capricorn marks the southern boundary of the tropics (Tropic of Capricorn 23 ½ degrees south of the equator). Besides being the northernmost point of the sun's rays that are directly overhead, the Tropic of Cancer also marks the northern boundary of the tropics (Tropic of Cancer 23 ½ degrees north of the equator). 4. What is kinetic energy? Kinetic energy-associated with an object by virtue of its motion 5. What is the difference between convection and advection? Convection is vertical atmospheric movement and advection is horizontal movement. In technical terms, convection is the movement of a fluid (often caused by density gradients created by thermal gradients in the fluid), while advection is the movement of a material caused by fluid velocity. 6. Explain why the atmosphere is heated chiefly by radiation from Earth's surface rather than by direct solar radiation.  Atmospheric gases cannot absorb sunlight directly, so the earth's surface heats up direct first and then reradiates it back into space.  Radiation energy is transformed into internal molecular motion or temperature rise when absorbed by a gas molecule. In the stratosphere, ozone absorbs UV rays and oxygen blocks most short-wavelength UV radiation. Due to the atmosphere's efficiency at absorbing long-wave radiation, such as
infrared (heat), the Earth is heated from below, causing a drop in temperature with altitude known as the normal lapse rate of 3.5 degrees F per 1000 feet. 7. Describe the greenhouse effect.  In order to produce the greenhouse effect, excess greenhouse gases trap and enclose a large amount of energy that would otherwise escape the earth, causing the earth to warm as a result. 8. Why does the daytime sky appear blue if the sky is clear? There is more scattering of blue light (which has a shorter wavelength) than red light (which has a longer wavelength). As sunlight passes through the atmosphere at high altitudes, blue light is scattered in all directions, resulting in our perception of blue skies.
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