CHAPTER 2
Heat Transfer in the Atmosphere
Prepared by: KEFENE GERBABA
JAN/2024
Heat Transfer in the Atmosphere
Heat transfer is the exchange of thermal energy between
physical objects or between materials (solid/liquid/gas) as a
result of a temperature difference.
Heat transfer always occurs from a hot body to a cold body.
Heat transfer requires a difference in temperature. Heat moves
from the hotter body (higher temperature) to the colder one
(lower temperature).
The source of heat energy for our planet earth is the
Sun. i.e. Nearly all energy in the Earth’s atmosphere
comes from the sun.
Energy from the Sun is transferred through space and
through the Earth’s atmosphere to the Earth’s surface
through the process of radiation.
Radiation is the transfer of energy by electromagnetic
waves from the sun to the Earth.
2.1. Heat transfer Mechanisms in the Atmosphere
There are three ways in which heat is transferred
into and through the atmosphere:
a) Conduction
b) Convection
c) Radiation, or any combination of these.
a) Conduction
• Conduction is the transfer of heat from areas of
more heat to areas of less heat by direct contact.
• Heat always flows from the warmer substance to
the colder substance. The rate of heat transfer is
greater with larger temperature differences and
depends directly on the ability of the substance to
conduct heat.
• During conduction, the warmer substance cools and
loses heat energy, while the cooler substance warms
and gains heat energy.
• Conduction happens mainly in solid objects and in the
lower atmosphere.
Example of energy transfer by direct contact
(Conduction)
b) Convection
Convection is the transport of heat within a fluid, such as
air or water, via motions of the fluid itself.
This type of heat flow takes place in liquids and gases
because they can move freely and it is possible to set up
currents within them. Water boiling in a pot is an example
of convection. Because air is a poor thermal conductor,
convection plays a vital role in the Earth’s atmospheric
heat transfer process.
Air near the ground is warmed by heat radiating from
Earth's surface. The warm air is less dense, so it rises. As
it rises, it cools and becomes more dense, so it sinks to
the surface. This creates a convection current.
Natural convection occurs as air is heated, it expands,
rises, and is replaced by cooler air.
C) Radiation
• Radiation is the transfer of heat energy through space by
electromagnetic radiation. These electromagnetic waves
travel at the speed of light.
• It is effective for high temperature sources such as the sun,
it’s less effective at ambient temperatures on earth.
• Radiation can travel through air or empty space.
• No direct contact between heat source and an object.
Heat transfer mechanism in the Atmosphere
• The Sun's energy travels through space by radiation. After
sunlight heats the earth's surface, some heat radiates
back into the atmosphere.
• The radiation from the sun is called short wave radiation.
• The radiation from the earth is called long wave radiation.
• When Solar radiation passes through the atmosphere,
some is reflected back to space by clouds, some is
by the atmosphere, and some is absorbed by
the Earth's surface.
• All objects that absorb radiation from the sun radiate
some of that energy back into space, but in a weaker
form of energy. This weaker energy is called longwave
radiation and is typically observed as heat.
• All living objects (including humans) radiate longwave
radiation.
• The Earth itself radiates the energy absorbed from the
sun in the form of longwave radiation.
• About half of the solar radiation that strikes the top of the
atmosphere is filtered out before it reaches the ground. This
energy can be absorbed by atmospheric gases, reflected by
clouds, or scattered. Scattering occurs when a light wave
strikes a particle and bounces off in some other direction.
• From all Solar radiation that originate from the sun, only
51% reaches at the earth’s surface. This energy is used to
heat the earth’s surface and lower atmosphere.
• Absorption, reflection and scattering account for
the remainder 49% of the radiation.
• About 4 percent of the energy that strikes the
ground is reflected back into the atmosphere. The
rest is absorbed by rocks, soil, and water and then
radiated back into the air as heat.
• The amount of solar energy received at any location
on the earth varies with latitude, time of day, and
season of the year.
• The angle of the sun determines the amount of solar
radiation that reaches the earth’s surface.
• When the Sun is directly overhead, the rays strike the
atmosphere at 90°angle and travel the shortest possible
route to Earth’s surface, which increases the amount of
radiation that reaches the earth’s surface.
• The longer the path the rays must travel, the greater the
chance that sunlight will be dispersed (scattered) or
absorbed by Earth’s atmosphere, which reduces the
intensity of sunlight reaching the earth's surface.
• The Earth receives most of its energy near the
equator, because of the sun’s rays are directly
hitting the earth.
• Therefore there is a surplus of energy at 00
latitude/Equator.
• The earth receives less energy from the sun near the
poles because the solar radiation from the sun
becomes more diffused and spread out over a large
area when it reaches on the earth’s surface.
• Therefore there is a deficit of energy in these regions.
Earth's energy balance - energy surplus and deficit
• The unequal heating of Earth’s surface causes temperature
difference which again causes pressure difference, which
create wind and wind drives ocean currents, which in turn
transport heat from the tropics toward the poles in an
unending attempt to balance energy inequalities.
• The consequences of these processes are the phenomena
we call weather.
Thermal Response
• Whether by radiation, conduction, convection, or a
combination of these, the temperature response to the
input (or output) of some specified quantity of heat varies
from one substance to another.
• Specific heat capacity, is defined as the measure of heat
energy required to increase the temperature of a unit
quantity of a substance by a certain temperature interval.
• Thus, two different substances with identical
temperature measurements do not necessarily
possess the same amount of heat energy.
• When exposed to the same amount of heat energy,
a substance with a low specific heat capacity
warms up more than a substance with a higher
specific heat capacity.
• Water has the highest specific heat capacity of any
naturally occurring substance. That means it has a much
higher capacity for storing heat energy than other
substances, such as soil, sand, rock, or air.
• Water can store large amounts of heat energy while only
experiencing a small temperature change.
• Water heats up more slowly than land during the day and
during the summer, and cools down more slowly at night
and during the winter.
