1. Solar Radiation
Sun provides energy for life, powers biogeochemical cycles, and determines climate
69% of incoming solar radiation is absorbed by atmosphere and earth
Remainder is reflected
Albedo
The reflectance of solar energy off earth’s surface
Dark colors = low albedo
forests, ocean, asphalt
Light colors = high albedo
ice caps, desert sands, clouds

2. 4 way Solar Radiation makes life on earth possible
warming the planet to a habitable temp
powers the biogeochemical cycles
allows producers to photosynthesize and feed other living organisms
stored in fuels – wood, oil, coal, nat’l gas

3. Temperature Changes with Latitude
Solar energy does not hit earth uniformly
Due to earth’s spherical shape and tilt
Equator (a)
High concentration Little Reflection High Temperature
Closer to Poles (c)
Low concentration Higher Reflection Low Temperature
From (a) to (c)
In diagram below

4. Temperature Changes with Season
Seasons caused by earth’s tilt (23.5°)
Causes each hemisphere to tilt toward the sun for half the year
Hem. Tilted toward sun receives more direct solar radiation & warmer temps.
Northern Hemisphere tilts towards the sun from March 21- September 22 (warm season)

5. Temperature Changes with Season

6. Seasons Northern Hemisphere Summer Solstice – Earth tilts toward sun
Hem. tilted toward sun rec. more direct solar radiation
Northern Hemisphere
Summer Solstice – Earth tilts toward sun
First day of Summer
June 21 or 22
Autumnal Equinox – Earth along side sun
First day of Fall
Sept 21 or 22
Winter Solstice – Earth tilts away from sun
First day of Winter
Dec 21 or 22
Vernal Equinox – Earth along side sun
First day of Spring
Mar 21 or 22

7. The Atmosphere Invisible layer of gases that envelopes earth Content
21% Oxygen
78% Nitrogen
1% Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Neon and Helium, …
Density decreases with distance from earth
Shields earth from high energy radiation

8. Atmospheric Layers Troposphere (0-10km) Stratosphere (10-45km)
where we live
where weather occurs
temp decreases with altitude
Stratosphere (10-45km)
temp increases with altitude
very stable
Ozone layer absorbs UV
Mesosphere (45-80km)
down to -138oC, -216oF

9. Atmospheric Layers Thermosphere (80-500km) Exosphere (500km and up)
gases in thin air absorb x-rays and short-wave UV radiation = very hot, 1000oC, 1832oF
source of aurora
Exosphere (500km and up)
outermost layer
no distinct boundary between it and outer space
just continues to thin

10. Atmospheric Circulation
Moves heat from equator to the poles
Warm air rises, cools and splits to flow towards the poles
~30° N & S sinks back to surface
air hits surface and splits to flow N & S
air warms and rises again at ~60° N & S
air sinks at poles

11. Heat is transferred throughout atmosphere in 3 ways
Radiation
heat energy transferred in the form of rays or waves
land and water absorb heat
Conduction
heat energy transferred through direct contact
air above land is in direct contact with land
*heat is always transferred from warmer to cooler
Convection
heat energy transferred through the flow of a fluid (liquid or gas)
warm air rises because less dense
cool air sinks because more dense

12. Surface Winds
High
Large winds due in part to high and low pressures caused by global circulation of air
Winds blow from high to low pressure
Little wind at latitudes of 0, 30, 60 & 90 because air rising or sinking
Low
High
Low
High
Low
High

13. Winds are named for the direction FROM WHICH they move
Prevailing Winds
Winds are named for the direction FROM WHICH they move
Polar Easterlies
blow from East to West
Between 90o and 60o N or S
Prevailing Westerlies
blow from West to East
Between 30o and 60o N or S
Trade Winds
Between 0o and 30o N or S
Which of these are “our“ winds?

14. Global Ocean Circulation
Prevailing winds produce ocean currents and generate gyres
Example: the North Atlantic Ocean
Trade winds blow west
Westerlies blow east (these are our winds)
Creates a clockwise gyre in the North Atlantic
Circular pattern influenced by coriolis effect

15. Coriolis Effect Earth’s rotation influences direction of wind
Earth rotates from East to West
Deflects wind from straight-line path
Coriolis Effect
Influence of the earth’s rotation on movement of air and fluids
Turns them Right in the Northern Hemisphere
Turns them Left in the Southern Hemisphere
chalk board globe

16. Coriolis Effect
Visualize it as a Merry-Go-Round (see below)

17. Global Ocean Circulation
Westerlies
Trade winds

18. Position of Landmasses
Large landmasses in the Northern Hemisphere dictate ocean currents and flow
Very little land in the Southern Hemisphere

19. Vertical Mixing of Ocean

20. Ocean Interaction with Atmosphere- ENSO
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
Def: periodic large scale warming of surface waters of tropical eastern Pacific Ocean
Alters ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns
Normal conditions- westward blowing tradewinds keep warmest water in western Pacific
ENSO conditions- trade winds weaken and warm water expands eastward to South America
Big effect on fishing industry off South America

21. ENSO Climate Patterns

22. Weather and Climate Weather Climate
conditions in the atmosphere at a given place and time
temperature, precipitation, cloudiness, etc.
Climate
average weather conditions that occur in a place over a period of years
2 most important factors: temperature and precipitation
Earth as many climates

24. Rain Shadows Mountains force humid air to rise
Air cools with altitude, clouds form and precipitation occurs (windward side)
Dry air mass moves down opposite leeward side of mountain

25. Tornadoes Powerful funnel of air associated with a severe thunderstorm
Formation
Mass of cool dry air collides with warm humid air
Produces a strong updraft of spinning air under a cloud
Spinning funnel becomes tornado when it descends from cloud
Wind velocity= up to 300mph
Width ranges from 1m to 3.2km

26. Hurricanes / Tropical Cyclone
Giant rotating tropical storms
Wind >119km per hour
Formation
Strong winds pick up moisture over warm surface waters
Starts to spin due to Earth’s
rotation
Spin causes upward spiral
of clouds
Damage on land
High winds
Storm surges

27. Internal Planetary Processes
Layers of the earth
Crust (oceanic & continental), mantle, core
Lithosphere – crust + upper mantle
rigid rock layer
tectonic plates
Asthenosphere – lower mantle
molten
Plate Tectonics - study of the processes by which the lithospheric plates move over the asthenosphere

28. Plate Boundary- where 2 plates meet
3 types
convergent – plates moving toward each other
volcanoes & EQ
divergent - plates moving away from each other
mid-ocean ridges, volcanic activity
transform – plates sliding/grinding past each
earthquakes
Mantle Convection
Causes plate movement
Convection currents in asthenosphere move beneath lithosphere and drag plates along

29. Plates and Plate Boundaries

30. Types of Plate Boundaries
Convergent Plate Boundary: plates move toward each other
oceanic-continental crust = subduction of oceanic plate (as shown)
Examples:
Andes Mountains
Cascade Range in Oregon and Washington state – Mt. Saint Helen’s
continental-continental = no subduction; HUGE mountain ranges
Himalayas, Apalachian Mountains

31. Types of Plate Boundaries
Divergent Plate Boundary: plates move away from one another
Examples:
Mid-Atlantic Ridge

32. Types of Plate Boundaries
Transform Plate Boundary: plates move horizontally in opposite, parallel directions
Examples:
San Andres Fault, CA

33. Earthquakes
Caused by the release of accumulated energy as rocks in the lithosphere suddenly shift or break
Occur along faults
Energy released as seismic wave
Focus- where earthquake originates below the surface
Epicenter- located on the earth’s surface, directly above the focus
Richter scale and the moment magnitude scales are used to measure the magnitude

34. Tsunami
Giant undersea wave caused by an earthquake, volcanic eruption or landslide
Travel > 450mph
Tsunami wave may be 1m deep in ocean
Becomes 30.5m high on shore
Magnitude 9.3 earthquake in Indian Ocean
Triggered tsunami that killed over 230,000 people in South Asia and Africa