2.1.2 The global energy balance

Content

• Geographic inquiry and concept(s)
  • How natural and human processes affect the global energy balance
• Geographic knowledge and understanding
  • Changes in the global energy balance, and the role of feedback loops, resulting in:
    • Solar radiation variations, including global dimming due to volcanic eruptions
    • Terrestrial albedo changes and feedback loops
    • Methane gas release and feedback loops
• Case study or detailed examples
  • Neither required by the syllabus
• Aims of this lesson
  • To have knowledge of what a positive and negative feedback loop are.
  • To understand how solar radiation and volcanic eruptions can change the global energy balance.
  • To have knowledge of how the terrestrial albedo fluctuates and how this creates change to the feedback loops.
  • To understand how methane gas is released into the atmosphere and how this impacts the global energy balance.

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