Review and Unit Quiz

Main Points

• The ground cover will affect the heat capacity of the Earth's surface.
• Cloud cover will affect the amount of light energy that is recieved by or emitted by the Earth.
• Greenhouse gases reflect infrared light. Since the majority of the Sun's energy is ultraviolet light, greenhouse gases do not affect the amount of energy absorbed by the sun. However, since the Earth emits infrared light, greenhouse gases do affect the percentage of the Earth's emitted energy which escapes into space.
• The Earth's temperature is set by the equilibirum of incoming energy form the Sun and the energy the Earth radiaties into space.