Climate #3: Blocking Thermal Radiation
from Everyday Science Hosted by PSD10 and Little Shop of Physics
How does the atmosphere affect thermal radiation? Well, for one thing, it can block it, trapping heat below. But when we have a cold, cloudless night sky, what happens to the thermal radiation? The two atmospheric elements which block heat -- water droplets (clouds) and carbon dioxide -- are not blocking the radiation as much. So, the cold night sky allows the thermal radiation to pass, cooling the surface of the planet.
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This episode was published on December 31, 2010.
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