Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
alters the volume/pressure relationship of the substance. The specific heat of still air at 10° C
is 1·010 J g -1 ° C -1 .
KEY POINTS
The details of the atmospheric energy system may appear complicated but the system is
very important as the driving force for our present-day climates. To recap what happens:
1 Energy enters from the sun.
2 It is reflected, scattered, absorbed and reradiated within the system but does not form a
uniform distribution. Some areas receive more energy than they lose; in other areas the
reverse occurs.
3 If this situation were able to continue for long the areas with an energy surplus would
get hotter and those with a deficit would get cooler.
4 This does not happen because the temperature differences produced help to drive the
wind and ocean currents of the world. They carry heat with them, either in the sensible
or latent form, and help to counteract the radiation imbalance.
5 Winds from the tropics are therefore normally warm, carrying excess heat with them.
Polar winds are blowing from areas with a deficit of heat and so are cold.
6 Acting together, these energy transfer mechanisms help to produce the present climates
of the earth.
FURTHER READING
Barry, R. G., and Chorley, R. J. (1998) Atmosphere, Weather and Climate , seventh edition,
London: Routledge (chapter 1). A popular textbook, now in its seventh edition, which covers
the whole field of climatology in considerable detail. Chapter 2 is not always easy to absorb but
provides good coverage of atmospheric energy and heat.
Hartmann, D. L. (1994) Global Physical Climatology , San Diego, CA, Academic Press (chapters 2,
3 and 4). A modern replacement of Sellers's classic Physical Climatology. It is pitched at quite
an advanced level but includes recent data from satellites.
Hidore, J. J., and Oliver, J. E. (1993) Climatology: an atmospheric science , New York: Macmillan
(chapters 2, 3 and 4). An elementary textbook which aims to introduce the processes of climate
changes through time. Also looks at human impact on the energy budget.
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