Chapter 2

Warming the Earth and the Atmosphere

1.    Temperature/Heat Energy

a.     Temperature as measure of kinetic energy

b.    Temperature scales (°K, °C, °F); Figure 2.2

c.     Latent heat energy vs. sensible heat energy  Figure 2.3

d.    Transport of mass and energy by water vapor; Figure 2.4

2.    Heat transfer

a.      Conduction, convection, radiation

b.    Convective cells (Figure 2.4, 2.12)

3.    Electromagnetic radiation

a.     Wavelength, amplitude, frequency, energy (Figure 2.7)

b.    Boltzmann’s law; Wien’s law 

c.     Solar radiation vs. earth’s radiation (Figure 2.8, 2.9)

4.    Atmospheric absorption

a.     Window region, natural greenhouse effect vs. anthropogenic greenhouse effect (Figure 2.10, 2.11)

b.    Earth’s energy balance (Figure 2.15, 2.16, 2.22)

5.    The seasons

a.     Unequal heating of earth’s surface (Figure 2.17, 2.18, 2.20)

b.    Figure 2.16, 2.18

6.    Satellite Imagery

a.     Visible, infra-red and water vapor images

b.    GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) East and GOES West WX satellite imagery.  Also called NOAA 12 and NOAA 14, respectively.