The greenhouse effect and the global energy balance
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Question
What is the global energy balance?
Answer
Incoming short-wave **solar** radiation balancing outgoing long-wave **terrestrial** radiation, keeping Earth's temperature steady.
Question
Short-wave vs long-wave radiation?
Answer
The Sun sends **short-wave** energy in; the cooler Earth re-emits **long-wave** heat out.
Question
Define albedo.
Answer
The share of incoming radiation a surface **reflects** straight back, without warming it.
Question
Define terrestrial albedo.
Answer
The reflectivity of the **Earth's surface** - high for ice and desert, low for ocean and forest.
Question
Name two high-albedo surfaces.
Answer
Fresh **snow/ice** and bright **desert** sand (also cloud tops) reflect most radiation.
Question
Outline the natural greenhouse effect.
Answer
Greenhouse gases **absorb** outgoing long-wave heat and **re-radiate** some back down, warming the lower atmosphere.
Question
Without the natural greenhouse effect, Earth would be…
Answer
About **33C colder** and largely frozen.
Question
Name two greenhouse gases that are NOT carbon dioxide.
Answer
**Water vapour** and **methane** (also nitrous oxide and ozone).
Question
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?
Answer
The **extra** warming when **human activity** raises greenhouse-gas levels, trapping more heat than the natural effect.
Question
Why is it called a 'greenhouse'?
Answer
Like greenhouse glass, the gases let **short-wave** light in but trap some **long-wave** heat leaving.
Question
Roughly how much insolation is reflected (the albedo)?
Answer
About **30%** of incoming solar radiation is reflected straight back to space.
Question
Outline vs Explain on these short parts?
Answer
**Outline** = give the main points briefly; you do not need a full developed mechanism unless asked to Explain.
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Topic 2.1 hub
Causes of global climate change
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