Solar Energy & Weather

6.4.7: Explain how solar energy affects Earth’s atmosphere and

surface (land and water).

Essential Question

How does the Sun’s energy affect the Earth?

?

The Sun• Driving energy source for heating of the Earth.• Circulation in Earth’s atmosphere comes from

the Sun and is known as solar energy.Some of the Sun’s energy coming through the

atmosphere is – Reflected by clouds and sent back out to space– OR– Absorbed by gases and clouds in the atmosphere.The rest of the energy reaches the surface of the

Earth.

Earth’s Surface – Land and Water

• Land heats up quickly• Land cools off quickly• Water heats up slowly• Water cools off slowly• It is this property of water on Earth that helps to

regulate the temperature range of Earth’s atmosphere.

It’s hot around here by the end of April, but why do most people open up their pools in May?

Hurricane season is from June to November. Why does it extend into fall if hurricanes need warm water

to form?

The Greenhouse Effect• Solar energy is absorbed by land and water.• That energy is converted to heat that radiates

(moves) back into the troposphere.• Sometimes this heat gets trapped in the

atmosphere. This is called the Greenhouse Effect.

What is the greenhouse effect?

Why should you care about the greenhouse effect?

Why is the inside of a car hotter than the outside, especially during the summer?

The glass traps heat inside the car like the particles in the air can trap heat in the atmosphere.