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Earth-Sun Relationships & Incoming Solar Radiation

Terms to Learn are in BOLD in the outline below.

Topic Outline:

Earth Movements

  1. Rotation
  2. Revolution
    1. Perihelion
    2. Aphelion


Seasons

  1. Tilt of Earth's axis
  2. Solstices
    1. Summer solstice
    2. Winter solstice
  3. Equinoxes
    1. Vernal
    2. Autumnal


Solar Energy

  1. Energy from sun – electromagnetic waves
  2. Insolation
    1. Ultraviolet waves
    2. Visible light
    3. Infrared
    4. Short-wave radiation


Arrival of heat energy

  1. Absorption
  2. Reflection
  3. Scattering
  4. Transmission
    1. Greenhouse effect


Heating of Atmosphere

  1. Heat budget

 

When you are finished with this topic, you should be able to answer these questions:

  1. What is the difference between perihelion and aphelion?
  2. What time of the year is the earth closest to the sun?
  3. What causes the seasons on earth?
  4. What is insolation and into which category does most of the earth's incoming solar radiation fall?
  5. What happens to the heat/light energy as it enters the atmosphere?
  6. What is the "greenhouse effect"?
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