A reading that explains Earth’s equable climate in the past using the theories, Hadley Cells, Convective Cloud Feedback, Polar Stratospheric Clouds, and Tropical Cyclones.
Classroom/Laboratory Activity: Hadley Circulation—Heat Transport in the Atmosphere
A classroom/laboratory activity to learn about radiation, heat transport, convection, and energy/mass conservation by interpreting and mapping the Hadley Circulation.
Visualization: Blackbody Spectrum
A visualization and associated activity to explain how Planck’s Law can be used to plot blackbody curves of objects with different temperatures, the relationship between temperature and peak wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum, and the greenhouse effect of Earth’s atmosphere.
Reading: Atmospheric Dynamics and Hadley Cells
A reading that discusses the use of the law of conservation of angular momentum to explain the extent of Hadley cells.
Model/Simulator: Modeling Planetary Energy Balance
A model/simulator to learn about vertical energy (heat) transfer in the Earth’s system and planetary energy balance.
Classroom/Laboratory Activity: The Coriolis Effect
A hands-on classroom/laboratory activity to learn about the Coriolis Effect.
Laboratory Activity: Urban Heat Island
A laboratory activity to learn about the urban heat island effect and heat waves.
Reading: Simple Atmospheric Model
A reading that introduces a single-layer atmosphere model, which is based on the emissivity of thermal radiation, to explain atmospheric warming.
Laboratory Activity: Heat Transport and Ocean Circulation
A laboratory activity to learn about heat transport through the Earth’s oceans (the great ocean conveyor belt) and the effects of this ocean conveyor belt on global climate.
Visualization: Blackbody Radiation and Planetary Temperatures
A visualization to understand blackbody radiation, the effects of albedo and solar brightness on the temperature of a planet, and the greenhouse effect of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Model/Simulator: Milankovitch Orbital Parameters
A model/simulator to learn about changes in Earth’s climate caused by variations in the solar energy received by the planet over geological time scales and to understand the role of the orbital parameters (obliquity, precession, and eccentricity) in causing ice age cycles (Milankovitch cycles) on Earth.
Video: Rising Sea Surface Temperature and Hurricane Intensity
A video to learn about hurricanes as heat engines, and the possible effects of increasing sea surface temperature on the intensity and frequency of hurricanes.
Visualization: Infrared Spectra of Greenhouse Gases
A visualization to learn about the infrared (IR) spectra of different greenhouse gases and the effect of greenhouse gases on the Earth’s climate.
Video: The Greenhouse Effect of the Atmosphere
A video micro-lecture that discusses Earth’s energy balance and the greenhouse effect of the atmosphere.
Reading: Planetary Temperatures
A reading that discusses the blackbody emission properties of the Sun and planets, describes the calculation of planetary temperatures by using the Stefan-Boltzmann Law, and explains the effect of atmospheres on planetary temperatures.