1. Sun
Earth
Sun: shortwave radiation
Earth: longwave radiation

2. Path of incoming solar radiation
30% of insolation
lost to space
20% of insolation
absorbed by atm
Only 50% of insolation
absorbed at surface

3. Albedo: a measure of how well a surface reflects insolation.

5. Albedo measures (% reflected)
Fresh snow %
Forests %
Asphalt 5 to 10 %
Water bodies 10 to 60 % (depending on sun angle)
Light roof 35 to 50 %
Dark roof 8 to 18 %

6. Latent heat fluxflux
The latent heat flux values shown here is the amount of energy moving from the surface to the air due to evaporation.
Why is latent heat flux less in the cities?
Latent heat flux is the amount of energy moving from the surface to the air due to evaporation (positive values) or from the air to the land due to condensation (negative values). Yellow to red to white indicates movement of heat from the surface (either ocean or land) via evaporation to the atmosphere.

7. Heat is continually redistributed in the Earth’s atmosphere via evaporation and condensation.7

8. 11. Ocean currents also redistribute heat8