Insolation and Temperature

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Insolation and Temperature
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Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) can be described
as waves. Note the generation of a magnetic field
at right angles to an electrical field and both
are perpendicular to the direction of EMR
propagation http//micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/jav
a/electromagnetic/index.html  
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The wavelength (?) of EMR is directly related to
the amount of NRG in the radiation. Short (?)
(e.g. gamma rays) have a higher NRG content Long
(?) (e.g. thermal or microwave (Radio) have a
lower NRG content
As the velocity of the propagation of EMR (the
speed of light) is believed to be a constant (c)
The number of waves to pass a single point in a
given period (the frequency, v) is much higher
for shorter ? radiation
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Atmospheric Windows
Some EMR passes through the atmosphere with no
interference (an atmospheric window Some EMR is
absorbed (or blocked) by components in the
atmosphere The most significant absorbers of EMR
in the atmosphere are O2 , N2, O3, CO2, H2O  
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Gamma radiation, X-rays, and UV radiation
absorbed in the upper atmosphere  Water vapor and
Carbon Dioxide absorb portions of the EM spectrum
in the thermal portions of the spectrum
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Atmospheric scattering (skylight or
haze) Rayleigh scatter (molecular scatter)
primary factor in upper atmosphere (why the sky
is blue) Mie scatter (non-molecular scattering,
water/ice/salt/smoke) primarly in lower
atmosphere
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When the sun is at very low angles, virtually all
the shorter ? EMR is scattered, allowing only the
longer, lower NRG waves (reds) to pass through.
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Of the incoming EMR, a significant portion is
simply reflected back into space Albedo
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Clouds and Ice have an Albedo approaching 100
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Global albedo is not constant but the overall
average is 35
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The atmosphere is heated primarily from below
from the surface.
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Adiabatic cooling and the inverse Adiabatic
warming
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Note the influence of clouds which interrupts
the latitudinal patterns
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45 degrees N halfway between equator and pole
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57.5 degrees North (same latitude as Moscow and
Hudsons Bay semi-tropical gardens on the coast
of Scotland
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Normal Atmospheric Conditions
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Temperature Inversion warmer air slides over the
cool air at the surface trapping the surface air
beneath a very stable upper air mass
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