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SFS-06

The document discusses insolation, which is the solar radiation received on Earth's surface, and its measurement in kilowatt-hours or watts per square meter. It explains factors affecting insolation, including the nature of the surface, sun's angle, atmospheric transparency, and Earth's position in its orbit, leading to variations in energy distribution. Additionally, it covers Earth's energy budget, which balances incoming solar energy and outgoing thermal radiation, and highlights the role of atmospheric and oceanic circulation in moderating temperature differences across the planet.

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Muhammad Sanjidul Islam Tangil
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© © All Rights Reserved
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7 views

SFS-06

The document discusses insolation, which is the solar radiation received on Earth's surface, and its measurement in kilowatt-hours or watts per square meter. It explains factors affecting insolation, including the nature of the surface, sun's angle, atmospheric transparency, and Earth's position in its orbit, leading to variations in energy distribution. Additionally, it covers Earth's energy budget, which balances incoming solar energy and outgoing thermal radiation, and highlights the role of atmospheric and oceanic circulation in moderating temperature differences across the planet.

Uploaded by

Muhammad Sanjidul Islam Tangil
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Insolation and

Earth’s Energy Budget


Shamima Ferdousi Sifa
Dept. of Disaster Science and Climate Resilience
University of Dhaka
http://pmm.nasa.gov/education/lesson-plans/global-energy-budget
Insolation
• Insolation is the amount of solar radiation received on
a given surface in a given time period.
Insolation Unit
• kilowatt-hours per square meter (kWh/m2)
per day
-which represents the average amount of
energy hitting an area each day
or
• watts per square meter (W/m2)-
which represents the average amount of power
hitting an area over an entire year
Insolation
The amount of solar radiation reaching any
place during one day depends upon
1. The nature of the surface
2. The inclination of the rays of the sun
3. The transparency of the atmosphere.
4. The position of earth in its orbit.
Nature of the Surface
Area and Inclination of the Rays of the
Sun
• Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees from the
plane of its orbit around the sun
Area and Inclination of the Rays of the
Sun

Energy from sunlight is not spread evenly over Earth. One hemisphere is always dark,
receiving no solar radiation at all. On the daylight side, only the point directly under
the Sun receives full-intensity solar radiation. From the equator to the poles, the Sun’
rays meet Earth at smaller and smaller angles, and the light gets spread over larger
and larger surface areas.
Transparency of the Atmosphere
• The transparency of the atmosphere depends
upon the cloud cover and its thickness, dust
particles, water vapour, etc.
Position of Earth in its Orbit
• The amount of insolation received at a place varies
with the sun moving in the horizon from morning to
evening.
• It also changes yearly as the tilt of the earth changes.
• It determines the length of the day
Solstice
A solstice is an event in which a planet's (earth)
poles are most extremely inclined toward or
away from the star (sun) it orbits.
• summer solstice: the solstice that marks the onset of
summer, at the time of the longest day, about 21 June in the
northern hemisphere and 22 December in the southern
hemisphere.
• Winter solstice: the solstice that marks the onset of winter, at
the time of the shortest day, about 22 December in the
northern hemisphere and 21 June in the southern
hemisphere.
Solstice
Equinoxes
Equinoxes is when the Sun is exactly above the
Equator and day and night are of equal length;
and where the ecliptic (the Sun’s annual
pathway) and the celestial equator intersect.

• The vernal equinox, marking the beginning of spring in


the Northern Hemisphere, occurs about March 21, when
the Sun moves north across the celestial equator.
• The autumnal equinox falls about September 23, as the
Sun crosses the celestial equator going south.
Equinoxes
Seasons
Four things that cause Earth to have seasons.
• 1.) Earth rotates once every 24 hours, or one day. This is
called rotation.
• 2.) It also revolves around the Sun every 365 ¼ days, or one year.
This is revolution.
• 3.) Earth is tilted by an angle of 23.5 degrees, and this
is inclination. If Earth was not tilted, all areas of the planet would
get the same amount of sunlight all year long, and seasons would
never change.
• 4.) The fourth is called polarity. The North Pole is always pointing
in the same direction toward the North Star, or Polaris.
Aphelion and Perihelion
• Aphelion is the point of the Earth's orbit that
is farthest away from the Sun.
• Perihelion is the point of the Earth's orbit that
is nearest to the Sun.
Tropics
Tropics

• The equator is located at zero degrees latitude. The Equator is


an imaginary line perpendicular to this axis. It is equidistant
from the North and South Poles, and divides the globe into
the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.

• A prime meridian is the meridian in a geographic coordinate


system at which longitude is defined to be 0°. It divides Earth
into the Eastern and Western hemispheres.
Tropics
• The Tropic of Cancer is located at 23.5 degrees
north of the equator. It marks the northern-most
position on the Earth, where the Sun is directly overhead
during the June Solstice.
• The Tropic of Capricorn lies at 23.5 degrees south
of the equator. It is the southern-most position on the
globe, where the Sun is directly overhead during the
December Solstice.
• The Arctic Circle is the latitude 66° 34ʹ North.
• The Antarctic Circle is the latitude 66° 34ʹ south.
Latitude and Longitude
• Cartographers and geographers trace horizontal and
vertical lines called latitudes and longitudes across
Earth's surface to locate points on the globe.
Earth’s Energy Budget
• Earth’s energy budget describes the balance
between the radiant energy that reaches
Earth from the sun and the energy that flows
from Earth back out to space.
• Energy from the sun is mostly in the visible
portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Earth’s Energy Budget
• About 30 percent of the sun’s incoming energy is
reflected back to space by clouds, atmospheric
molecules, tiny suspended particles called
aerosols, and the Earth’s land, snow and ice
surfaces.
• The Earth system also emits thermal radiant
energy to space mainly in the infrared part of the
electromagnetic spectrum.
• The intensity of thermal emission from a surface
depends upon its temperature.
Earth’s Energy Budget

http://pmm.nasa.gov/education/lesson-plans/global-energy-budget
Earth’s Energy Budget

http://pmm.nasa.gov/education/lesson-plans/global-energy-budget
Radiation
• The hotter something is, the shorter its peak
wavelength of radiated energy is.
• The hottest objects in the universe radiate mostly
gamma rays and x-rays.
• Cooler objects emit mostly longer-wavelength
radiation, including visible light, thermal infrared,
radio, and microwaves.
•
Earth’s Energy Budget
Incoming heat being absorbed by the Earth, and
outgoing heat escaping the Earth in the form
of radiation are both perfectly balanced. If
they were not balanced, then Earth would be
getting either progressively warmer or
progressively cooler with each passing year.
This balance between incoming and outgoing
heat is known as Earth’s heat budget.
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0072-the-heat-budget.php
Earth’s Heat Engine
• The Sun doesn’t heat the Earth evenly. Because the
Earth is a sphere, the Sun heats equatorial regions
more than polar regions.
• The atmosphere and ocean work non-stop to even
out solar heating imbalances through evaporation of
surface water, convection, rainfall, winds, and ocean
circulation.
• This coupled atmosphere and ocean circulation is
known as Earth’s heat engine.
Factors affecting Energy Budget
Earth's energy budget depends on many factors,
such as
• the planet's surface albedo (reflectivity),
• clouds,
• atmospheric aerosols,
• greenhouse gases,
• land use patterns
Insolation

Energy from sunlight is not spread evenly over Earth. One hemisphere is
always dark, receiving no solar radiation at all. On the daylight side, only the
point directly under the Sun receives full-intensity solar radiation. From the
equator to the poles, the Sun’ rays meet Earth at smaller and smaller angles,
and the light gets spread over larger and larger surface areas (red lines).
Albedo
• Ability of surfaces to
reflect sunlight (heat from
the sun)
• Light-coloured surfaces
return a large part of the
sunrays back to the
atmosphere (high albedo).
• Dark surfaces absorb the
rays from the sun (low
albedo).
Landuse Pattern
• Difference in surface albedo
• Evapotranspiration
• Release of GHGs
Net Radiation
•
Radiation Imbalance
Radiation imbalance
occur horizontally in the
atmosphere and vertically
along the surface of the
earth. Which result in
convection, advection
and conduction process
of heat transfer

http://www.atmo.arizona.edu/students/courselinks/fall12/atmo336s2/lectures/sec3/energybudget2.html
Radiation Imbalance
The bottom of the atmosphere is much heated than
the upper atmosphere due to radiation
imbalance.

This imbalance generate instability in the


atmosphere. Warm air rise up and result in cloud
formation, Precipitation and storms etc.

Radiation imbalance also drive horizontal air


movement and ocean circulation which transport
energy from the tropic to the polar region.
Radiation Imbalance
Energy transported across the latitude by large scale
atmospheric and ocean circulation.

Atmospheric circulations contribute about 60% of the


transfer of energy and ocean currents about 40% .

Atmospheric and oceanic circulations moderate the


temperature differences between the tropics and the
polar regions. If these circulations did not occur, the
tropics would be much hotter and the polar regions
would be much colder.
Selected Readings
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/EnergyBalance
https://www.e-education.psu.edu/meteo469/node/202

http://www.atmo.arizona.edu/students/courselinks/fall12/atmo336s2/lectur
es/sec3/energybudget2.html

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