What are the factors responsible for heating the atmosphere?

What are the factors responsible for heating the atmosphere?

Due to the chemical composition of the earth’s atmosphere, most of the infrared radiation emitted by the warm surface never reaches space. Instead the radiation is reflected or absorbed by compounds known as greenhouse gasses. When these compounds absorb the infrared radiation from the surface, the atmosphere heats up.

How does Earth’s atmosphere retain heat?

Gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, trap heat similar to the glass roof of a greenhouse. These heat-trapping gases are called greenhouse gases. At night, Earth’s surface cools, releasing heat back into the air. But some of the heat is trapped by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

What is the retention of heat in the atmosphere called?

The atmosphere absorbs ultraviolet solar radiation, warms the surface of earth through heat retention (which is the so-called ‘greenhouse effect’) and reduces temperature extremes between day and night.

What factors influence the Earth’s average temperature?

The temperature characteristics of a region are influenced by natural factors such as latitude, elevation, and the presence of ocean currents. The precipitation characteristics of a region are influenced by factors such as proximity to mountain ranges and prevailing winds.

What factors increase the Earth’s temperature?

On the surface, the greatest factor affecting Earth is sunlight. Sun provides energy for living organisms, and it drives our planet’s weather and climate by creating temperature gradients in the atmosphere and oceans.

What are the factors influencing temperature?

Factors Controlling Temperature Distribution The latitude of the Place. The altitude of the Place. Distance From The Sea. The presence of warm and cold ocean Currents.

What is the most responsible for the uneven heating of the air in the atmosphere?

The movement of air through Earth’s — or any planet’s — atmosphere is called wind, and the main cause of Earth’s winds is uneven heating by the sun.

How does heat transfer affect the temperature of the Earth?

Convection is the transfer of heat energy in a fluid. Air in the atmosphere acts as a fluid. The sun’s radiation strikes the ground, thus warming the rocks. As the rock’s temperature rises due to conduction, heat energy is released into the atmosphere, forming a bubble of air which is warmer than the surrounding air.

What are the two factors that affect conduction on Earth’s surface?

Thanks to physics, we know that conduction is affected by temperature difference, the area of conduction, the distance the heat must travel, and the amount of time that passes.

Which two gases have the biggest impact on heat being trapped in the atmosphere?

Methane: A powerful greenhouse gas, able to absorb far more heat than carbon dioxide, methane is made of one carbon and four hydrogen atoms. It is found in very small quantities in the atmosphere but is able to make a big impact on warming.

How does the earth’s temperature affect its energy budget?

Earth’s Energy Budget. If the temperature of the Earth rises, the planet rapidly emits an increasing amount of heat to space. This large increase in heat loss in response to a relatively smaller increase in temperature—referred to as radiative cooling—is the primary mechanism that prevents runaway heating on Earth.

Which is the most important factor affecting the atmosphere?

Atmosphere is basically a more or less a homogeneous mixture but being a mixture of gases, heat from the Sun falling on Earth drives it. The second most important factor is the latent heat carried by water vapour which is variable and it constitutes various phenomena that we observe in atmosphere.

How does the greenhouse effect affect the Earth’s atmosphere?

Greenhouse warming is enhanced during nights when the sky is overcast. Heat energy from the earth can be trapped by clouds leading to higher temperatures as compared to nights with clear skies. The air is not allowed to cool as much with overcast skies.

How does heat move in the lower atmosphere?

Radiation is the transfer of energy between two objects by electromagnetic waves. Heat radiates from the ground into the lower atmosphere. In conduction, heat moves from areas of more heat to areas of less heat by direct contact. Warmer molecules vibrate rapidly and collide with other nearby molecules, transferring their energy.