briefly explain how earths atmosphere heated?
Energy is transferred between the earth's surface and the atmosphere via conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction is the process by which heat energy is transmitted through contact with neighboring molecules
In the context of Earth's atmosphere, conduction plays a relatively minor role in heating the atmosphere. Instead, the primary processes involved in heating the atmosphere are convection and radiation.
Convection is the transfer of heat energy through the movement of fluids, such as air. As sunlight hits the Earth's surface, the surface heats up and warms the adjacent air molecules. These warm air molecules become less dense and rise, creating an upward vertical movement known as convection currents. As the warm air rises, it carries heat energy with it, transferring it to higher regions of the atmosphere. This process helps to heat the atmosphere from the bottom upward.
Radiation is the transfer of heat energy through electromagnetic waves. The sun emits a wide spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and infrared (IR) radiation. When sunlight reaches the Earth's atmosphere, it is absorbed by the surface, such as land, water, and vegetation. The absorbed radiation causes the surface to heat up, and the surface then re-emits this heat energy as IR radiation. Some of this IR radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide and water vapor, which further warms the atmosphere.
In summary, the Earth's atmosphere is heated through the combined effects of convection and radiation. Convection transfers heat energy through the movement of air, while radiation involves the absorption and re-emission of sunlight as IR radiation. These processes work together to maintain the temperature balance in the Earth's atmosphere.