Earth to Class

Core Concepts -- Energy and the Environment

2.1a. Earth systems have internal and external sources of energy, both of which create heat.

2.2a. Insolation (incoming solar radiation) heats Earth's surface and atmosphere unequally due to variations in: intensity (caused by variations in atmospheric transparency and angle of incidence which vary with time of day, latitude, and season); characteristics of the materials absorbing the energy (such as color, texture, transparency, states of matter, and specific heat); and duration, with varies with seasons and latitude.

2.2b. The transfer of heat energy within the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and Earth's surface and interior occurs as a result of radiation, convection, and conduction. Heating of Earth's surface and atmosphere by the Sun drives convection within the atmosphere and oceans, producing winds and ocean currents. Density differences are the basis of many Earth phenomena including cloud formation and the formation of atmospheric storms.

2.1k. The outward transfer of Earth's internal heat drives convective circulation in the mantle that moves the lithospheric plates comprising Earth's surface.

2.1i. Seasonal changes can be explained using concepts of density and heat energy. These changes include shifting of global temperature zones, the shifting of planetary wind and ocean patterns, the occurrence of monsoons, hurricanes, flooding, and other

2.2d. Temperature and precipitation patterns are altered by natural events (such as El Nino and volcanic eruptions), and by human influences including deforestation, urbanization, and the production of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane.