Ch. 4

Question 1

What is insolation?

Answer 1

Incoming solar radiation. The single energy input driving the Earth- atmosphere system, yet it is not equal at all surfaces across the globe

Question 2

What is the principle of Rayleigh scattering?

Answer 2

This principle applies to radiation scattered by small gas molecules and relates the amount of scattering in the atmosphere to wavelengths of light – shorter wavelengths are scattered less

Question 3

What is albedo?

Answer 3

The reflective quality, or intrinsic brightness, of a surface

Question 4

We report albedo as the…?

Answer 4

The percentage of insolation that is reflected– 0% is total absorption and 100% is total reflectance