FACTORS AFFECTNG CLIMATE Grade 10 Science
How is the Earth’s climate changing? Average global temperatures are increasing (global warming). Precipitation patterns are changing. Extreme weather events are more frequent. (hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, drought, El Nino etc.)
Several natural factors affect the Earth’s climate: SOLAR ENERGY (THE SUN) ATMOSPHERE, PREVAILING WINDS GREENHOUSE EFFECT HYDROSPHERE, OCEAN CURRENTS LANDFORMS
PART 1: THE SUN SUN FACTS: The Sun has the diameter of 100 Earths The Sun has the volume of 1,000,000 Earths Earth orbits the Sun every 365.25 days Acts like a giant nuclear bomb fueled by the fusion of hydrogen into helium
HOW THE SUN AFFECTS CLIMATE 1) Solar Energy Output 2) Curvature of the Earth 3) Tilt of the Earth 4) Earth’s Orbit
1) SOLAR ENERGY OUTPUT Almost all of Earth’s energy comes from solar radiation. Solar radiation consists of electromagnetic waves (infrared (IR), visible and ultraviolet (UV) light).
THERMAL ENERGY Some solar radiation gets absorbed by Earth and is converted into thermal energy. Thermal energy is the kinetic energy of the particles in a substance. Temperature is a measure of thermal energy, or how slow or fast the atoms are moving. The more solar radiation a substance absorbs, the greater its thermal energy (temperature).
The Sun is Changing…. The output of solar energy can change over time: As the Sun gets older and consumes hydrogen, it is getting larger and hotter. Sunspot cycles and solar flares can affect Earth’s climate by changing the Sun’s energy output. Dark, cool areas called sunspots appear on the photosphere. Sunspots always appear in pairs and are intense magnetic fields (about 5,000 times greater than the Earth's magnetic field) that break through the surface. Field lines leave through one sunspot and re-enter through the other one. The magnetic field is caused by movements of gases in the sun's interior. Sunspot activity occurs as part of an 11-year cycle called the solar cycle where there are periods of maximum and minimum activity. It is not known what causes this 11-year cycle, but two hypotheses have been proposed: Uneven rotation of the sun distorts and twists magnetic field lines in the interior. The twisted field lines break through the surface forming sunspot pairs. Eventually, the field lines break apart and sunspot activity decreases. The cycle starts again. Huge tubes of gas circle the sun's interior at high latitudes and begin to move toward the equator. When they roll against each other, they form spots. When they reach the equator, they break up and sunspots decline. Occasionally, clouds of gases from the chromosphere will rise and orient themselves along the magnetic lines from sunspot pairs. These arches of gas are called solar prominences. Prominences can last two to three months and can extend 30,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) or more above the sun's surface. Upon reaching this height, they can erupt for a few minutes to hours and send large amounts of material racing through the corona and outward into space at 600 miles per second (1,000 kilometers per second); these eruptions are called coronal mass ejections. Sometimes in complex sunspot groups, abrupt, violent explosions from the sun occur. These are called solar flares. Solar flares are thought to be caused by sudden magnetic field changes in areas where the sun's magnetic field is concentrated. They're accompanied by the release of gas, electrons, visible light, ultraviolet light and X-rays. When this radiation and these particles reach the Earth's magnetic field, they interact with it at the poles to produce the auroras (borealis and australis). Solar flares can also disrupt communications, satellites, navigation systems and even power grids. The radiation and particles ionize the atmosphere and prevent the movement of radio waves between satellites and the ground or between the ground and the ground. The ionized particles in the atmosphere can induce electric currents in power lines and cause power surges. These power surges can overload a power grid and cause blackouts. You can learn more about solar flares by reading Could an extremely powerful solar flare destroy all the electronics on Earth? Watch This!!!
2) CURVATURE OF THE EARTH Amount of energy reaching Earth varies by latitude. Equator gets the most direct (concentrated) rays and is the hottest. North and South Poles get less direct (diffuse) rays and are the coldest.
Effects of the Sun on 4 Cities:
Monthly Average Temperatures: Toronto, Ontario (43oN latitude) Jan: -5oC July: +22oC Singapore(1o N latitude) Jan. +26oC July +27oC Alert, NWT(83oN) Jan: - 32oC July: +4oC Stanley, Falklands Islands (51oS latitude) Jan: +9oC July: +3oC
3) TILT OF THE EARTH Watch This!!! Earth rotates on its axis every 24 h (day / night). Earth revolves around the Sun every 365.25 days. Earth is tilted 23.5o compared to solar plane. Tilt creates annual changes in temperature, precipitation and wind (known as the seasons). Watch This!!!
4) EARTH’S ORBIT The Earth’s orbit changes from circular to elliptical. This changes the distance from the Sun and the length of the seasons. Change occurs in a 100,000 year cycle.