What does scattering do to the solar radiation that travels to Earth?

What does scattering do to the solar radiation that travels to Earth?

Scattering of solar radiation within the atmosphere also accounts for a reduction of energy reaching Earth. Atmospheric gas molecules and aerosols deflect solar radiation from its original path, scattering (reflecting) some radiation back into deep space and some toward Earth’s surface.

What happens to solar energy that reaches Earth’s surface?

The energy that reaches the Earth’s surface (primarily visible light) is absorbed by the Earth. This increases the temperature of the Earth and then that absorbed energy is released as heat.

What is scattering of solar radiation?

Scattering of solar radiation occurs when the radiation strikes very small objects in Earth’s atmosphere, such as air molecules, tiny water droplets, ice crystals, or aerosols (tiny airborne particles), which disperse the solar radiation in all directions.

What happens when Sun rays reach the Earth?

All of the energy from the Sun that reaches the Earth arrives as solar radiation, part of a large collection of energy called the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. Solar radiation includes visible light, ultraviolet light, infrared, radio waves, X-rays, and gamma rays. Radiation is one way to transfer heat.

What causes scattering?

Mie scattering is caused by pollen, dust, smoke, water droplets, and other particles in the lower portion of the atmosphere. It occurs when the particles causing the scattering are larger than the wavelengths of radiation in contact with them.

What is albedo effect?

Albedo is an expression of the ability of surfaces to reflect sunlight (heat from the sun). Light-coloured surfaces return a large part of the sunrays back to the atmosphere (high albedo). Dark surfaces absorb the rays from the sun (low albedo).

What happens to the energy that reaches to the earth?

When it reaches the Earth, some is reflected back to space by clouds, some is absorbed by the atmosphere, and some is absorbed at the Earth’s surface. The earth-atmosphere energy balance is achieved as the energy received from the Sun balances the energy lost by the Earth back into space.

How is solar energy captured?

Solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy either through photovoltaic (PV) panels or through mirrors that concentrate solar radiation. This energy can be used to generate electricity or be stored in batteries or thermal storage.

How does heat travel from the Sun to the Earth?

Energy is transferred from the sun to Earth via electromagnetic waves, or radiation. Most of the energy that passes through the upper atmosphere and reaches Earth’s surface is in two forms, visible and infrared light. This transfer of energy can take place by three processes: radiation, conduction, and convection.

Why does it receives slanting rays from the sun?

Solstices and shifting solar declinations are a result of Earth’s 23.5° axial tilt as it orbits the sun. Throughout the year, this means that either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun and receives the maximum intensity of the sun’s rays.

What is scattering effect?

Scattering of light is the phenomenon in which light rays get deviated from its straight path on striking an obstacle like dust or gas molecules, water vapours etc. Scattering of light gives rise to many spectacular phenomena such as Tyndall effect and the “red hues of sunrise and sunset”.

What is scattering in spectroscopy?

Raman scattering spectroscopy, like infrared absorption spectroscopy, is a technique used to observe the vibrational states (also rotational in some cases) of a molecule. Some of the photons forming the radiation are either reflected or absorbed, and few are scattered.

How does the scattering of solar radiation affect the Earth?

The process of scattering occurs when small particles and gas molecules diffuse part of the incoming solar radiation in random directions without any alteration to the wavelength of the electromagnetic energy (Figure 7f-1). Scattering does, however, reduce the amount of incoming radiation reaching the Earth’s surface.

What causes solar rays to travel out in all directions?

The scattering deflection causes the rays to travel out in all directions without changing their wavelengths. What does scattering do to solar rays that are traveling to Earth?

How does scattering affect the intensity of a light ray?

Scattering does not change the striking light ray’s wavelength or intensity. If intercepted, some gases and particles in the atmosphere have the ability to absorb incoming insolation (Figure 7f-2). Absorption is defined as a process in which solar radiation is retained by a substance and converted into heat energy.

What kind of effect does scattering have on the sky?

Scattering sends some of the radiation back into space. The remaining that continues on to Earth comes from all directions. What effect does scattering have on the sky’s appearance? Scattering makes the sky appear blue and makes the sun appear red at sunrise and sunset.