In this exercise, students will use this law and the near-ground air temperature to compute the irradiance emitted by the earth's surface. Then comparisons will be made with actual observations of this variable, called upwelling terrestrial radiation. This lesson is designed to provide students an understanding of how much radiative energy heats and cools the earth's surface on a daily basis. Students will try to determine whether the surface is in radiative equilibrium. In this lab, students will strive to answer this question and others.
Most people are aware that clouds impact the amount of solar energy that is received at the ground.
This lesson examines qualitative and quantitative aspects of how clouds affect incoming solar radiation. In this activity, students will calculate the amount of radiative energy reaching the ground on a clear day, a day with cirrus overcast, and a day with significant cumulus convection. Comparisons will be made to begin to determine how clouds affect the solar radiation received at Earth's surface. The type of air mass that covers an area will impact its weather significantly. In this lesson, students will classify the air masses over Oklahoma by examining the temperature and moisture content of the air across the state.