What happens when solar energy as it passes through the atmosphere and at the Earth's surface?
Question:
Answer:
When solar radiation passes through the atmosphere, it is absorbed and scattered, not only by atmospheric gases, but also by aerosols and clouds. Aerosols are defined as suspensions of liquid or solid particles in the air, excluding cloud droplets and precipitation. The mean radii of aerosol particles range from about 10-4 to 10 microns (µm). Aerosol particles in the atmosphere are mainly due to two processes:
the vast majority of the heat effect is at ground level - in the atmosphere it has two main effects 1. a cleansing effect my killing microbes 2. Producing new compounds by interacting with the gases and pollutants ( like ozone and some carbon compounds )
Light is absorbed by the atmosphere and by the surface of the earth.
Absorption, reflection and transmission are the three process take place both in air and earth. when solar energy enter the atmosphere first it is filtered by ozone layer where the UV and other harmful rays are absorbed by the ozone. simillarly gas molecules, aerosols, dust and moisture in the air absorbs some energy. some long waves of the solar spectrum is reflected by air. the remaining spectrum reaches the earth. here part of solar energy is absorbed, part of energy is reflected and part of energy is transmitted. depends upon the substance of earth the amount will vary. eg. water transmits more energy, black body absorbs all energy and white objects reflects maximum energy.
in general the earth albedo (reflection percentage of solar radiation) is 36 per cent.
mani,
dept of soil
tnau,covai
Used a negligible amount and wasted remaining
it is partially absorbed in the air and the rest is absorbed by the earth's surface...
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