GEOG 2300 1st Edition Lecture 9Outline of Last Lecture I. TemperatureII. The SunIII. Solar Energy and the Earth’s EnergyIV. The Energy of LifeOutline of Current Lecture I. InsolationII. AtmosphereIII. Helping the EnvironmentCurrent LectureI. InsolationA. Insolation: incoming solar radiationB. Measured in watts per square meterC. Varies by latitude and season and the sun’s passage in the sky (where the sunis during solstices and equinoxes and in between) D. Light gets spread over a larger area if the sun is at a lower angle overheadE. If the sun is directly overhead, greater insolation; if the sun is at an angle, lessinsolationF. Over the course of the year, the equator gets the most insolationG. Daily insolation is at its maximum at the north pole during the summer solstice because the sun is always up and shining and vice versa for the south poleH. Two maxima and two minima in daily insolation at the equator occurring at the equinoxes and solstices respectivelyI. Globe is divided into world latitude zones that describes climate: equatorial, tropical, subtropical, mid-latitude, subarctic (sub-Antarctic), Arctic (Antarctic),polarII. AtmosphereA. Composition of the troposphere: 78% nitrogen(converted by bacteria into a useful form in soil), 21% oxygen (produced by green plants in photosynthesis), 1% argon and other gasesThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.B. Other gases include carbon dioxide (0.035%) which is produced by respirationand by burning of fossil fuels, water vapor (0.1-.4%), methane which is produced by cows, termites, and swamps (anoxic environments), CFC’s which is human made, and particulate matter which is mostly dustC. Atmosphere has several layers with different temperatures, pressures, and compositionsD. Troposphere: warmed by greenhouse gases, gets colder as elevation increasesE. Stratosphere: warmed by chemicals absorbing light, including ozone and UV, gets warmer as elevation increasesF. Mesosphere: less dense and colder, gets colder as elevation increasesG. Thermosphere: chemicals highly excited by sunlight so its warmer, but not dense, gets warmer as elevation increasesH. Tropopause, stratopause, mesopause: boundaries between the layersI. Ozone: O3, in the stratosphere, absorbs ultra violet (UV) radiation which protects the earth from the radiation, oxygen also absorbs the radiationIII. Helping the EnvironmentA. Turn off the lights; reduces power consumption and saves moneyB. Use a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) reduces electricity by 75% and lasts 10 times longerC. Using lower wattage bulbs or unscrewing unnecessary bulbs lowers
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