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Which process has the greater effect on the thermal distributions & equilibrium of the atmosphere?
Is it the reduction in net radiation into space of absorbed & remitted solar energy increasingly trapped by human activity generated greenhouse gases? Or is it the changes in the water cycle (precip patterns, polar caps, mt snowpacks, ocean temps, etc)which moves the thermal energies around the atmosphere?
This is an oversimplified science Q that only a person trained in the understanding of the thermodynamics of the atmosphere can truly answer. My own expertise in heat transfer phenomena permits me to pose this Q. This is not a mickey-mouse algebra problem except perhaps for the late Feynman.
DR. RICHARD P. FEYNMAN
(1918-1988)
Nobelist Physicist, teacher, storyteller, bongo player
the hero of physics geeks everywhere
"An honest man, the outstanding intuitionist of our age, and a prime example of what may lie in store for anyone who dares to follow the beat of a different drum" - Dr. Julian Schwinger
Order of magnitude calculations would suffice to A the issue here!
I have also posted the Q in the physics category for obvious reasons.
This is another one of the promised science Q's!
"Human activities have changed the albedo (via forest clearance and farming, for example) of various areas around the globe. However, quantification of this effect is difficult on the global scale.
The classic example of albedo effect is the snow-temperature feedback. If a snow covered area warms and the snow melts, the albedo decreases, more sunlight is absorbed, and the temperature tends to increase. The converse is true: if snow forms, a cooling cycle happens. The intensity of the albedo effect depends on the size of the change in albedo and the amount of insolation; for this reason it can be potentially very large in the tropics."
Sample albedos Surface Typical
Albedo
Fresh asphalt 0.04[1]
Conifer forest
(Summer) 0.08[2]
Worn asphalt 0.12[1]
Bare soil 0.17[3]
Green grass 0.25[3]
Desert sand 0.40[4]
New concrete 0.55[3]
Fresh snow 0.80–0.90[3]
areading entry tells you that Earth's Albedo which is a reflectivity(radiation) property is very complicated. Good tip!THX
My preliminary conclusion after scanning the entry: Unfortunately the albedo effect is a complicating factor! and it does not A the Q asked which requires full understanding of all the heat transfer and energy absorption processes that affect the thermal equilibrium of the earth's atmosphere.
We need something more comprehensive.
Pappy, Anything to lead us all to better understanding of the dynamics of the thermal behavior of the atmosphere which is a giant insulating gaseous boundary layer, among other things. THX
2 Answers
- RioLv 61 decade agoFavorite Answer
It' s called (The Albedo temperature effect) they prefer to leave water out of the equation simply because the light is reflected at angles and doesn't create a notable feedback loop.
Edit: Good luck on that one unless you can fully calculate forced thermal convection and atmosphere pressure flux.But I'm always open to suggestions.Are we talking a process or a element of a process.Fresh snow tops the chart in order of magnitude.....
- WorldemperorLv 51 decade ago
It is the Solar output increasing which causes more water to evaporate and heats the surface water which is why the Northern Ice Cap is melting and the Southern is Growing. The Northern cap is floating on water so the increase in temp will affect it while the Southern cap is on land so it isn't greatly affected. The same is true for Greenland where the Interior is growing and the edges are melting.
Source(s): AGW Skeptic. My Source. http://z4.invisionfree.com/Popular_Technology/inde...
