Introduction to Climate Prediction

Objective

You will begin to understand what happens to radiation from the Sun when it gets to the Earth and what this means for the temperature of the planet

The Earth from Space

• Think about looking at the Earth from Space? What do you see?

• Now try to think about what happens to the radiation from the Sun. Where does it all end up?

What happens to Solar radiation

• This is actually what happens to the radiation from the Sun.

• Most of it is absorbed by the Earth which then warms up

Diagram from physicalgeography.net

The Greenhouse Effect

• As the Earth heats up it too gives off radiation

• The radiation absorbed by the atmosphere in turn warms up the Earth, keeping it at a comfortable temperature.

• Without the atmosphere, the temperature on the Earth would be 33C cooler than it is now, taking it to the temperature of inside a freezer!

Using a scientific model

Objectives:

You will be able to describe what a scientific model is and why scientists use models

You will be able to use a model to represent a simple situation

Predicting the climate

• Why do you think understanding about the temperature of the Earth is important?

• Who does it affect and why?

What is a model?

• What do you understand by the word model?

• Scientists mean a simplified, often smaller scale representation of a certain situation, in this case, the Earth’s temperature.

• To predict and understand the climate of the Earth, we can use a model.

Our model of the Earth and Sun

• What would happen to the speed of the water from the hole if there were a lot of water in the bucket?

• What would happen to the speed of the water if the water level falls?

What does our model mean?So, in this model, what represents…

You can choose from:

The height of the water Water falling out of the hole

Water from the tap The water itself

The radiation from the Sun

The radiation emitted by the Earth

The overall temperature of the Earth

Energy

What does our model mean?So, in this model, what represents…

The radiation from the Sun

The radiation emitted by the Earth

The overall temperature of the Earth

Energy The water itself

Water from the tap

Water falling out of the hole

The height of the water