Part III : Radiation and Earth’s Atmosphere

• The earth’s global average surface temperature in present climate

is 15 oC (59 oF). Without the atmosphere, it would be -18 oC ( 0
oF),

• Atmosphere is the most important component of the earth’s

climate.

• Radiation vs. other heat sources:

• Solar energy budget enter the earth’s atmosphere: 1368 watts per
meter Square I e the total is 174X1015 Watts

• Solar: 99.978%, Geothermal: 0.013%, waste and fossil fuel:

0.007%, tidal: 0.002%

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 Earth’s Atmosphere
1. What is it?
A thin gaseous envelope around the planet.
Blue sky!
2. Composition
Today’s atmosphere: nitrogen (78%), oxygen
(21%), other (1%) – trace gases!

Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and most
other gases are invisible.
Clouds are not gas, but condensed vapor in the form of
liquid droplets or ice particles.

Ground based smog, which is visible, contains reactants of

nitrogen and ozone.
3. Structure Four layers:
Troposphere (overturning) From surface to 8-18 km
Stratosphere (stratified) From troposphere top to 50 km
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
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 The Structure of Earth’s Atmosphere
1. Four layers defined by

temperature
Troposphere: T decreases with elevation
Stratosphere: T increases with elevation
Mesosphere: T decreases with elevation
Thermosphere: T increases with elevation

2. Importance to climate and climate change

Troposphere:
80% of Earth’s gases
Most of Earth’s weather happens
Most of the measurements
Stratosphere:
19.9% of Earth’s gases
Ozone layer:
Blocking Sun’s ultraviolet radiation
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 Energy from the Sun
1. Characteristics

Travels through space (vacuum)

in a speed of light
In the form of waves:
Electromagnetic waves
In stream of particles (Photons)
Releases heat when absorbed
2. Electromagnetic spectrum
From short wavelength, high energy,
gamma rays to long wavelength, low
energy, radio waves

3. Importance to climate and

climate change
Primary driving force of Earth’s climate engine
Ultraviolet,
15-Nov-23 Visible, Infrared 4
 Electromagnetic Radiation, Sources and Properties

b
peak 
T
Wien constant
b = 2.89810-3

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 Sun’s Electromagnetic Spectrum

Solar radiation has peak intensities in the shorter wavelengths,

dominant in the region we know as visible, thus shortwave
radiation
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 Blackbody Radiation Curves

Any object above

absolute zero radiates
heat, as proportional to T4

Prad  Ae T 4
 = 5.67 x 10-8 W.m-2.K-4

Higher temperature,
shorter wavelength

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 Longwave & Shortwave Radiation
T is the absolute
temperature in
kelvins. b is a
constant of
proportionality
called Wien's
displacement
constant, equal to
2.898×10−3 m.oK

T temperature in
kelvins. b Wien's
constant, equal to
15-Nov-23
2.898×10−3 m.oK
 Atmospheric Greenhouse Effects

T= 15°C
(59°F) With the
Surface Temperature
T= –18°C
Atmosphere
(0°F)

Surface Temperature Without the

Atmosphere

Greenhouse effects make Earth’s surface warmer!

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 Greenhouse Gases
 What are they?
Water vapor (H2O)

Carbon dioxide (CO2) Methane (CH4)

Ozone (O3) Chlorofluorocarbons Nitrous oxide (N2O)

(CFC’s)

 Water vapor accounts for 60% of the atmospheric greenhouse effect, CO2 26%,
and the remaining greenhouse gases 14%.

 CO2 contributes most (55-60%) to the anthropogenic greenhouse effect,

and methane is a distant second (16%).

 CFCs cause the strongest greenhouse warming on a molecule-for-molecule

basis.

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 Nitrous Oxide
Atmospheric Absorption

Methane
Solar radiation passes
rather freely through

Absorption (100%)
Earth's atmosphere. Ozone

Earth emits longwave

Water Vapor
energy, which either
leaks through a narrow
window or Carbon Dioxide

is absorbed by
UV
greenhouse gases and IR
radiated back to Earth.
Total Atmo
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Wavelength
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 Pole-to-Equator Heating Imbalances

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 Questions:

• What is the current global mean surface temperature?

• Why it is 33C or 59F warmer than it would be without the

atmosphere?

• Why is climate dominated by the radiation balance of the

atmosphere?

• What are the main greenhouse gases in the earth’s

atmosphere?

• In what latitudes the earth’s gain and lost radiative energy

(heat), respectively?
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 Questions:
• What is the current global mean surface temperature?
15 oC or 59 oF
• Why it is 15 oC or 59 oF warmer than it would be without the
atmosphere?
– Because of greenhouse effect of the atmosphere
• Why is climate dominated by the radiation balance of the
atmosphere?
– It contributes to 99.978% of total heat flux into the atmosphere
• What are the main greenhouse gases in the earth’s
atmosphere?
– H2O, CO2, CH4, O3, CFCs, NO2
• In what latitudes the earth’s gain and lost radiative energy
(heat), respectively?
– Gain heat in the tropics or 40S-40N, loss heat in high latitudes
(50S-50N)
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 Interested in more questions? Try these
questions:

• What is the most important greenhouse gases for

modern climate change? What is the fastest growing
greenhouse gas?

• Earth’s climate has been much colder and warmer

than that of today. Do you know in what ways the
earth’s radiation balance was altered?

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 Feedbacks
A feedback is a mechanism whereby an initial change in a process
will tend to either reinforce the change (positive feedback)

or weaken the change (negative feedback).

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 Example of a positive feedback
Think about the polar regions:

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 Example of a positive feedback

More energy
retained in system

Albedo decreases
Less solar energy Warm temperatures
reflected

Ice and snow melt

If this were
15-Nov-23 the only mechanism acting, we’d get a runaway temperature increase
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 Example of a negative feedback

More energy
retained in system

Albedo increases
More solar energy Warm temperatures
reflected

More evaporation
More clouds

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 Another Positive Feedback

More energy
retained in system

More longwave Warm temperatures

energy absorbed

More evaporation
More clouds

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 Example of a positive feedback

More energy
retained in system

Albedo decreases
Less solar energy Warm temperatures
reflected

Ice and snow melt

If this were
15-Nov-23 the only mechanism acting, we’d get a runaway temperature increase
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