Grade A essay plans for commonly asked past paper questions since 2003. Each essay plan is clearly and concisely structured with specific evidence and case studies.
Assess the extent to which albedo is the most important factor in determining the diurnal energy
budget:
• Albedo
o Influences all components of the energy budget (eg. Outgoing radiation, absorption)
except incoming solar radiation
o Eg. Snow has the highest albedo, reflecting 95% of radiation
• Cloud cover
o Effects the amount of UV radiation (the main energy input)
o 23% of incoming solar radiation is reflected by clouds and the atmosphere
• Daytime and nighttime
o Subsurface supply
o Amount of energy transferred to the surface, thus, cooling effect
Evaluate the role that greenhouse gases have within the energy budget:
• Greenhouse gases
(incoming short-wave radiation is the main energy input, long wave infrared radiation is radiated
from the Earth)
o Back radiation of 100%
o Absorption of long wave radiation by greenhouse gases
Evaluate the possible causes and atmospheric impacts of the enhanced greenhouse effect:
• Volcanic activity
o 1991, Mount Pinatubo (Philippines) erupted releasing 17million tonnes of SO2
o Reduce global sunlight by 10% cooling planet by 0.5oC for about a year
• Manufacturing of CFC’s (solvents, aerosol propellants)
o Increasing at 6% per annum
o X10,000 more efficient at trapping heat than CO2
• Increased temperatures but highly variable (eg. Heat waves)
o Global temperatures are 1oC hotter than pre-industrial times
o 20 of the hottest years has occurred in the past 22 years
Present day: human causes > natural causes, impact of human interference is more significant (gases
produced has longer lifetimes)
To what extent does the distribution of land and sea affect the global distribution of temperature:
• SHC of the sea vs land
o SHC of water is 4.18 joule per kelvin vs land which is usually less than 1 joule per kelvin
o Higher specific heat capacity and is capable of transmitting heat more deeply
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