Climate #3: Blocking Thermal Radiation - a podcast by PSD Channel 10 and Little Shop of Physics
from 2010-12-31T15:00
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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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