Table of Contents
What type of radiation does the Sun emit to Earth?
All of the energy from the Sun that reaches the Earth arrives as solar radiation, part of a large collection of energy called the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. Solar radiation includes visible light, ultraviolet light, infrared, radio waves, X-rays, and gamma rays.
What types of radiation heat the atmosphere?
[more on electromagnetic radiation] It is infrared radiation that produce the warm feeling on our bodies. Most of the solar radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and much of what reaches the earth’s surface is radiated back into the atmosphere to become heat energy.
Does the sun emit shortwave radiation?
Energy released from the Sun is emitted as shortwave light and ultraviolet energy. When it reaches the Earth, some is reflected back to space by clouds, some is absorbed by the atmosphere, and some is absorbed at the Earth’s surface. Shortwave radiation reflected back to space by clouds.
How does radiation affect weather and climate?
Atmospheric radiation is critically important to understand because it affects both weather (for example, heating of the land surface by sunlight drives the formation of convective clouds) and climate (for example, long term changes in the amount of radiation reflected or absorbed by aerosols, clouds, or gases may …
How much radiation does the sun emit?
The “solar constant” includes all types of solar radiation, not just the visible light. Its average value was thought to be approximately 1366 W/m2, varying slightly with solar activity, but recent recalibrations of the relevant satellite observations indicate a value closer to 1361 W/m2 is more realistic.
Where does the radiation from the Sun Go?
Radiation from the Sun. In the meantime, the electromagnetic radiation that wasn’t absorbed by the atmosphere proceeds to the Earth’s surface and heats it up. Some of this heat stays there while the rest is re-emitted. Upon reaching the atmosphere, part of it gets absorbed and part of it passes through.
Where does the energy from the sun come from?
All of the energy from the Sun that reaches the Earth arrives as solar radiation, part of a large collection of energy called the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. Solar radiation includes visible light, ultraviolet light, infrared, radio waves, X-rays, and gamma rays.
How is sunlight filtered through the Earth’s atmosphere?
On Earth, sunlight is filtered through Earth’s atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon. When the direct solar radiation is not blocked by clouds, it is experienced as sunshine, a combination of bright light and radiant heat. When it is blocked by clouds or reflects off other objects,…
How much solar radiation does the Earth get from the Sun?
If the extraterrestrial solar radiation is 1367 watts per square meter (the value when the Earth–Sun distance is 1 astronomical unit ), then the direct sunlight at Earth’s surface when the Sun is at the zenith is about 1050 W/m 2, but the total amount (direct and indirect from the atmosphere) hitting the ground is around 1120 W/m 2.