Chapter 11 - Heating the Atmosphere
Learning Objectives:
After completing this chapter you should be able to:- Distinguish between weather and climate.
- Identify the dominant and important atmospheric gases and their relative percentages in the atmosphere.
- Explain the importance of ozone in the earth's atmosphere.
- Identify and describe the four structural zones of the atmosphere.
- Distinguish between Earth rotation and revolution.
- Explain the causes of the seasons.
- Identify and describe the three heat transfer methods.
- Explain how solar radiation is absorbed, scattered, and reflected after it enters the earth's atmosphere.
- Describe the greenhouse effect and its influence on global warming.
- Explain how atmospheric temperatures are measured and recorded.
- Describe how differential heating of land and water, altitude, and geographic position influence atmospheric heating.
Reading Assignment
Read in Your Text:
Read Chapter 11 from page 271 through page 294. As you read each section of this chapter, click on the highlighted text to jump to a site which further clarifies, elaborates, or illustrates the concepts from that section.
- Weather and Climate
- Composition of the Atmosphere
- Variable Components
- The Ozone Problem
- Height and Structure of the Atmosphere
- Earth-Sun Relationships
- Earth's Rotation and Revolution
- Seasons
- Mechanisms of Heat Transfer
- Conduction
- Convection
- Radiation
- Paths Taken by Incoming Solar Radiation
- Scattering
- Albedo
- Absorption
- Heating the Atmosphere: The Greenhouse Effect
- Global Warming
- Temperature Measurement and Data
- Controls of Temperature
- World Distribution of Temperature
Vocabulary List
Test your knowledge of the vocabulary below by passing your cursor over the terms to reveal their definitions. Practice until you are confident in your understanding of this vocabulary.air
albedo
circle of illumination
climate
conduction
convection
element (of weather and climate)
environmental lapse rate
equinox (spring or autumnal)
greenhouse effect
inclination of the axis
infrared
isotherm
mesosphere
radiation/electromagnetic radiation
revolution
rotation
solstice (summer or winter)
stratosphere
thermosphere
Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Capricorn
troposphere
ultraviolet
visible light
weather
Chapter Review
Complete the "Questions For Review" and "Testing What You Have Learned" sections found on pages 295-297 of Chapter 11. Do not submit these to your instructor for grading. You will use these as review materials to assist you as you prepare to complete your course examinations.
Apply Your Knowledge
Answer the following question after searching the internet for information on which to base your response. Provide the web address(es) for your source(s) of information. Do not simply cut and paste information from a source. This constitutes plagiarism. Instead, write your response IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Feel free to collaborate with other students or discuss this question with the instructor by visiting the WebBoard (Conference link below) and locating this question in the list of topics provided.The use of solar energy as an alternative to burning hydrocarbons for electricity and to fuel motorized vehicles promises to increase as we continue to deplete non-renewable energy resources. How does this technology work? Why isn't it utilized more than it already is?
Submit your answer for grading by e-mail.
Conference
Having any hardware/software problems, or general course questions? Visit the WebBoard (Conference link below) to post messages for the other people in this course.Top of Page |Unit 2 |FAQ |Instructor |Course Info |Syllabus |Handbook
Course Map |Conference
Copyright © 1998 College of DuPage
Center for Independent Learning(630) 942-3322
sutherla@cdnet.cod.edu
Updated 20 Mar 99