Download How Earth`s systems move heat energy

HowEarth’ssystemsmoveheatenergy
“Theoceanandatmosphereareconnected.Theyworktogethertomoveheatandfreshwater
across the globe. Wind-driven and ocean-current circulations move warm water toward the
polesandcolderwatertowardtheequator.Theoceancanstoremuchmoreheatthantheland
surfacesontheEarth.ThemajorityofthethermalenergyattheEarth’ssurfaceisstoredinthe
ocean. Thus, the absorption and movement of energy on the Earth is related to the oceanatmospheresystem.”
NOAA (http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/pd/oceans_weather_climate/)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHztd6k5ZXYThis video from TEDed provides a succinct
and clear discussion of energy on Earth, both in natural systems, and as part of human
civilization (4:43)
The science of Earth systems draws on many different branches of science. It draws on physics (e.g.,
how solar radiation consists of a range of wavelengths, including infrared). It draws on a combination
of physics and chemistry (e.g., the properties of greenhouse gases that trap infrared heat due to their
number of bonds and ability to absorb and release energy). And it draws on a combination of
chemistry, physics and biology (e.g., photosynthesis).
Because of this complexity, to study the Earth system in order we divide it up and study components
to model how they work. However, in reality, we cannot study any part of the Earth system in isolation
from any other part.
Think about living things, one of the systems most familiar to us. Living things have many components
such as the circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems. You study these systems in isolation first, to
understand each one. Then you learn how the components work together to make the organism
function. You learn about how feedbacks exist among the systems.
As an analogy to how Earth systems move heat around, consider how the body deals with heat.
Feedbacks in the body control heat production from exercise and from digestion. Feedbacks in the
body control heat loss (e.g., to the environment when it is cold). Together, these feedbacks keep the
body’s temperature in a suitable range.
The body systems involved are the brain, the skin and sweat glands, and the circulatory system. A
balancing feedback occurs when your body's temperature begins to rise. The brain signals to the skin
and circulatory systems when you get hot. This makes the capillaries in the skin increase blood flow
and sweat glands in the skin release sweat. Both responses help your body lose heat.
Now think of the major components of the global climate. Earth’s climate is influenced by land
(including soil, rocks), water (including clouds, water vapor and ice), air, and life. All these components
are interconnected; changes in any one of them ultimately affects the others as well. In the following
sections, each component is described in turn.
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Interactions among various Earth systems components are shown in the diagram above.
How many interactions can you see?
(From: http://worldoceanreview.com/en/wor-1/climate-system/earth-climate-system/)
Moreinformation:
• Follow the energy from the sun as it moves to Earth and its atmosphere (Scroll down the page
to find the interactive, Energy flow)
http://serc.carleton.edu/eslabs/weather/2b.html
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