NATS1840A

Tutorial #3

Tuesday, 8 November, 11

Albedo
Recall: From Greenhouse effect, we learned
about temperature and steady states! other things, on its MATERIAL PROPERTIES

Temperature of object depends amongst Albedo - How well an object reects light
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Albedo

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Albedo
High Albedo ==> Highly reective, poor
absorption absorption

Low Albedo ==> Low reection, high

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Albedo
Albedo is sometimes referred to as the
refrigerant

The higher the albedo, the greater the

refrigeration

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Albedo and The Climate

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Tuesday, 8 November, 11

Sample Albedos
Surface Fresh Asphalt Worn Asphalt Conifer Forest Deciduous Trees
Bare Soil

Typical Albedo 0.04 0.12 0.08, 0.09-0.15 0.15-0.18

0.17

Green Grass Desert Sand New Concrete Ocean Ice Fresh Snow Earth
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0.25 0.40 0.55 0.5-0.7 0.80-0.90 About 0.30

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Calculating The Albedo

Sun Earth

Parallel arrows: Solar Radiation conned within a tube of cross-sectional area (Pi*a^2) The radial arrows indicate outgoing thermal radiation from the total surface area (4pi*a^2)
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Calculating the Albedo

Power emitted per unit area

Pemit = T

4
2

Ptotal = 4a

This is the total outgoing power from the Earths surface

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Calculating The Albedo

Incoming Power: Pincoming = (1 Incoming = Outgoing
A)Fs a
2

(1

A)Fs a = 4a
OR:

T
4

(1
Fs =
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A)Fs = 4 T
Note that:

W atts 1370 m2

Predetermined constants

= 5.67 10

W m2 K 4
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Albedo and Climate

Albedo: Regulates production of infrared
waves

Greenhouse effect: Determines the fraction

which are trapped (Warming)

These two factors determine the climate

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 Important to discuss concept of

theFeedback Loop As an example...

Albedo and Climate

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Albedo and Climate

Can have more complex Casual Loop diagrams as well

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Albedo and Climate

An example from Economics

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Measuring Albedo
Create environment which mimics that of a
planet :

Sealed jar with soil (as ground)! Walls: Greenhouse gases Lid: Steady state Different ground ==> Different Albedo
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The Experiment
Hypothesis: The Albedo of a Planet has an Impact Upon
Climate

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The Experiment
Test this by comparing the effect of
different ground covers on the climate inside a transparent container

Dried soil => Ground Salt => Represents snow or ice Additional mimicking materials of your
choice
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The Experiment
For each choice of ground: Measure: Temperature inside the jar

Hints: Compare albedos Use thick-walled containers (they trap heat better) Spread ground cover as wide as possible (Allows ground to intercept as much light as possible) Avoid damp soil (use dry soil)
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Tuesday, 8 November, 11

The Writeup

Page 1:

Hypothesis being tested Description of Experiment you designed to test the hypothesis Description of where, when, and how you made the measurements, including uncertainties Conclusions: Rank the albedos of the various ground covers you have evaluated from lowest to highest
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The Writeup
Page 2 Detailed drawing of your experimental
setup.

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The Writeup

Page 3: The ORIGINAL logsheet

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Tutorial Part II

Textbook Sections: 4.4, 4.5,4.7

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Food chain: How chemical energy in food ows through various trophic levels in energy transfers. Most of the energy is converted the heat.

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Simplied Antarctic Food Web

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Energy Flow Pyramid

Notice decrease in usable energy available at each trophic level

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Further Discussion

Describe why microbes are the real

rulers of Earth.

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