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Language of the Energy Cycle: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Explore the language of energy wavelengths, speed of light, blackbody radiation, Planck’s law, and greenhouse effect in the context of the Earth's energy balance and atmospheric interactions. Learn about the impact of various gases on energy absorption and transmission in the atmosphere.

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Language of the Energy Cycle: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

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  1. Language of the Energy Cycle:The Electromagnetic Spectrum Energy Wavelength l • Speed of light = wavelength (l) x frequency = 3 x 108 m/s in vacuum • Wavenumber = 1/ wavelength ( cm-1) • Frequency in GHz (1 Hz = sec –1)

  2. 620 K 380 K 1.Power Source: Blackbody Radiation Planck’s Law: The amount and spectrum of radiation emitted by a blackbody is uniquely determined by its temperature Max Planck (1858 – 1947) Nobel Prize 1918 Emission from warm bodies peak at short wavelengths wavelength

  3. Sun at 6000K; peak emission at 0.5 mm Solar Spectrum = Shortwave spectrum =visible spectrum:

  4. CO2 O3 H2O Terrestrial Spectrum = Longwave Spectrum = Infrared Spectrum = Thermal Spectrum:Sahara Desert on Nimbus 4 Satellite Theoretical Planck curves: Earth ~300K, peak emission ~15 mm

  5. Sun Earth High energy Short wavelength / high frequency Emitted at high T Electromagnetic Spectrum

  6. 2. What happens to the radiation in the atm? n1symmetric O O C C n2 bending 15 mm O O n2asymmetric 4.3 mm O C O Vibrational Modes for CO2 Greenhouse effect: Radiation at specific wavelengths excite CO2 into higher energy states: energy is “absorbed” by the CO2 molecules

  7. O O O H O H H H C H N O N H Nitrous oxide methane Other Greenhouse Gases water ozone

  8. Absorption Transmission Atmosphere: Characteristic Absorption/Transmission for different atm molecules for l: 0-15 µm

  9. Earth Spectrum Incoming from Sun: High energy, short wavelength 0.5 mm Outgoing from Earth Low energy Long wavelength 20 mm 10 mm

  10. Shortwave Longwave 100 CO2, H2O, GHG 50 Earth’s Energy Balance

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