INSOLATION AND

TEMPERATURE
J.T. II Olivar, MAEd
Faculty of Arts and Letters
University of Santo Tomas
 Outline of the Lecture
 Insolationand Temperature
 [Processes of] Heating and Cooling
the Atmosphere
 Latent Heat

 Spatial and Seasonal Variations in

Heating and Cooling
 Insolation
 Infrared Waves
 [White] Light

 Ultraviolet Waves
[Processes of] Heating and Cooling
the Atmosphere
1. Conduction
2. Convection
3. Radiation
4. Absorption
5. Reflection
6. Transmission
7. Scattering
8. Adiabatic cooling and warming
 Conduction
 Themovement of heat energy from
one molecule to another without
changes in their relative positions.
– Moist air is slightly more efficient
conductor than dry air.
 Convection
 Heatis transferred from one point to
another by moving liquid or gas.
– In convection, the molecules physically
move away from the heat source.
 Radiation
 Theprocess by which heat energy is
emitted from a body.
– A body that emits the maximum amount
of radiation possible [at every
wavelength] is called a blackbody.
 Absorption
 Heat energy striking an object can
be absorbed by the object like water
into sponge.
– Dark-colored surfaces are much more
efficient absorbers in the visible portion
of the spectrum than are light-colored
surfaces.
 Reflection
 Is
the ability of an object to repel
waves without altering either the
objects or the waves.
– An object that is good absorber is a poor
reflector, and vice versa.
 Transmission
 Is
the process whereby a wave
passes completely through a
medium.
– Transmission depends on the
wavelength of the rays.
 Scattering
 Particulatematter and gas molecules
in the air sometimes deflect and
redirect light waves.
– Shorter waves are readily scattered
than longer ones.
 Adiabatic Cooling
 Cooling by expansion in rising air.
– The expansion that occurs in rising air is
a cooling process even though no heat
is taken away.
 Adiabatic Warming
 Warming by compression in
descending air.
– The molecules draw closer together and
collide more frequently thus resulting in
a rise in temperature even though no
heat is added from external sources.
 Latent Heat
 Latent – lying hidden
– Latent heat of evaporation
– Latent heat of condensation
Spatial and Seasonal Variations in
Heating and Cooling
 Latitudinal differences
– Angle of incidence
– Day length
– Atmospheric obstruction
– Latitudinal radiation balance
 Land and water contrast
– Heating
– Cooling
 Heating
 Water has a higher specific heat than
land.
 Sun rays penetrate water more
deeply than they do on land.
 Water is highly mobile and land is
immobile.
 The unlimited availability of moisture
on a water surface.
 Cooling
 Northern hemisphere
– Land hemisphere
– 39% land

 Southern hemisphere
– Water hemisphere
– 19% land