• 1. What is the primary source of energy for the Earth's atmosphere?
• 2. a) Draw & label a diagram to show the Earth's rotation on its axis. Make certain you show the axis and direction of rotation. 
• b) What time period does a complete rotation take? 
• c) What is the inclination of the axis (the angle of tilt)? 
• d) How does this vary over geological time periods? e) Using a visible satellite image, locate the current circle of illumination [ need a link].
• 3. a) Draw and label a diagram to show the Earth's revolution around the sun. Make certain you show the aphelion, the perihelion, and the earth's rotation relative to the orbit. 
• b) What shape is the path? 
• c) What time period does a complete revolution take? 
• d) Why is there a leap year every four years? 
• 4. a) There are four days of special significance based on the annual migration of the direct rays of the sun. What are they each called? 
• b) When are they? 
• c) Where are the sun's rays directly overhead on these days? Make sure you describe what happens in both the northern and southern hemispheres?
• Where are the sun's rays directly overhead today?
• 5. Why are the i) Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, ii) the Equator, and iii) the Arctic and Antarctic circles located where they are? 
• 6. a) Define the term sun angle. 
• b) In the northern hemisphere when in the year will the sun's midday altitude (sun angle) be greatest? 
• c) Draw a diagram to show how the latitude where the sun angle is 90 changes through the year. 
• d) Why on a given day does the sun angle vary both from place to place (spatially)? 
• e) Why at a given place does it vary from day-to-day (temporally)?
• f) what is the relationship between sun angle and daylength? 
• g) Why is there summer and winter? 
• h) Why are the seasons reversed in the northern and southern hemispheres?

• 1. What is the equation to calculate the noon sun-angle? 
• 2. a) For Indianapolis, IN, Honolulu, HI, and Dunedin, New Zealand what are the noon sun angles on June 21st, Dec 21st and Sept 22nd? You may need an atlas to find the latitude of these locations. 
• b) For each location, what seasons begin on each of these days? 
• 3.a) If the Earth's tilt changed to 20, what would the effect be on the seasons in Indianapolis? 
• b) What would the effect be in Hawaii? 

GENERAL CONCEPTS: RADIATION & RADIATION LAWS 

• 1. a) In what form does solar energy travel through space and reach the Earth's atmosphere? 
• b) At what speed does it travel? 
• c) What controls the amount and properties of this energy? 
• d) What happens when the energy enters the Earth's atmosphere? 
• e) How are these processes affected by a volcanic eruption? 
• 2. a) What parts of the electromagnetic spectrum are important in meteorology?
• b) Which wavelengths are longer ultra-violet, visible or infra-red?
• c) How much larger is a millimeter than a micrometer? 
• d) What are the symbols given to these? 
• 3. a) What is the solar constant? 
• b) What is its numerical value? 
• c) How does it compare to the solar radiation (K¯) measured at the surface? 
• 4. a) Write down two general statements about the relationship between radiation (type and amount) and temperature. 
• b) What are the names given to these laws? 
• 5. If radiant energy at a particular wavelength is incident on an object, what are the three radiative characteristics of the substance that control what will happen to the energy? 
• 6. a) Shortwave radiation is composed of direct and diffuse radiation. What process(es) generate diffuse radiation? 
• b) Distinguish between Mie and Rayleigh scattering. 
• c) Why at the coast and after volcanic eruptions are there often very vivid sunsets? 
• d) Why is the clear sky blue, clouds white, and night-time black? 
• 7. a) Which law states that if an object is a good absorber it will also be a good emitter of radiant energy? 
• b) What is the name given to a perfect absorber? 
• c) What is the numerical value given to the emissivity of that type of object? 
• 8. a) Using the web resources, generate a map of the average annual global pattern of incoming short wave radiation (K¯) received at the Earth's surface. 
• b) Describe and explain what you see. How does it vary from the solar radiation received at the top of the atmosphere? 
• c) How does the pattern vary between January and July? 
• 9. a) Define the term albedo? 
• b) How is it calculated? 
• c) Which surface will have the lower albedo: snow, grass or pavement? Generate a map of global albedo using the web resources for January and July briefly describe and explain the patterns you observe. 
• 10. a) What is long-wave radiation? 
• b) Using the web resources, generate a map of average annual L­. Describe and explain the patterns you observe. 
• 11. a) What is the "atmospheric window"? 
• b) Why is the relation between the increase in greenhouse gases and the atmospheric window? 
• 12. The atmosphere is often described as a selective absorber. What does this mean? Give two examples of selective absorption and outline their implications. 
• 13. a) Explain how the radiation balance is an example of the conservation of energy as expressed by the first law of thermodynamics. 
• b) Write out the equation for net all wave radiation defining all terms?
• c) How do clouds influence the components of the radiation balance?
• d) What is the difference between the day-time and night-time radiation balance? 
• 14. a) Why does the Earth's surface cool down at night? 
• b) Why is it warmer on sunny days than cloudy days, but warmer on cloudy nights rather than clear nights? 

• 1.a) Write down the equation for the albedo of the surface. 
• b) What is the outgoing shortwave radiation if the albedo is 0.2 and the incoming radiation 1000 W m^-2.
• 2. a) Give an example of a surface that may have an albedo of 0.2.
• b) If it snows, predict numerically what will happen to a and K­? 3. 
• 3. a) Stefan Boltzmann's Law can be used to calculate the longwave emission from the sky & the earth. What are the two characteristics you would need to know about the areas emitting radiation to calculate the amount of flux emitted? 
• b) What units must they be measured in? 
• 4. a) Using your knowledge of Stefan-Boltzmann's law which of the following two objects would you expect to emit more radiant energy: a metal spoon that has been sitting in the sun and has a surface temperature of 35 C, or an asphalt road which has a surface temperature of 50 C? 
• b) Assume the emissivity (0.97) is the same for both objects. Calculate the amount of energy emitted per second for both the spoon and the road.
• 5. a) Using your knowledge of Wien's displacement law which object in the above question will emit energy at the shortest wavelength? 
• b) Calculate the wavelength at which the energy is emitted for both objects. 
• c) What part of the electromagnetic spectrum is this energy being emitted from? 

d) How do these wavelengths compare to those emitted by the sun and the earth (at its average temperature)?