(7) Radiation Balance

(2) Electromagnetic Radiation - Infrared Radiation

Collaboratively develop an online quiz that requires students to understand concepts of electromagnetic radiation and energy transfer and employs simulations.

• Herschel Experiment - Explore Learning / Gizmos

• Planck's Law - PhET - Planck's Law states that the energy of electromagnetic radiation is confined to indivisible packets (quanta), each of which has an energy equal to the product of the Planck constant and the frequency of the radiation.

• Electromagnetic spectrum- Edumedia

• EM radiation (introduction) - Edumedia

• EM Waves - oPhysics/Geogebra

Discuss physical and biological phenomena that can be better understood after understanding radiation and heat transfer.

(3) Infrared Photography from Space

NASA has satellites have collected infrared data and summarized the data in KML files (a KML/KMZ is a file format used to display geographic data in an Earth browser such as Google Earth). You can analyze average surface temperatures on Earth by examining these KML files.

VIDEO: Making Projects in Google Earth Chrome with KML files [6:24}

• • From your Chrome browser, open Google Earth .

  • Select New Project, and select the KML file showing the IR radiation in Northern LA County: KML Files

Sample satellite IR photos.

Land use and surface temperature. What patterns do you see between land use and surface temperature patterns? Explain in terms of energy balance.

How has land use changed in recent years? Using the Timelapse, zoom in on Porter Ranch, CA. What changes do you notice, and what impact might these changes have upon the climate?

(4) Investigate factors influencing surface temperature

• What factors do you think may influence surface temperatures? Experiment with a factor of your choice. Here are some examples of the kinds of things you can investigate using an infrared camera or an infrared thermometer.

  1. 1. Measuring temperature as a function of distance away from a building, road, creek, tree, or other feature.

     2. Measure temperature as a function of distance from the center of a grassy field out towards the edges

     3. Comparing temperature a fixed distance away from different buildings on different sides of the building

     4. Comparing ground surfaces of varying kinds

     5. Measuring temperature at different elevations (by climbing a hill, parking structure, or multi-story building),

     6. Study the effect of air speed on temperatures by measuring temperature out of a car window at various speeds. (A second “volunteer” could conduct a similar study but with a thin layer of wet tissue around the probe.)

• It should be noted that some of these studies will reveal no meaningful relationship between temperature and the variable studied. That's important! This assignment is designed to allow the students to gain experience in scientific claims-making. Students present their experiments to the class and propose explanations for the data. Obviously, in “X factor” studies, students are never completely able to isolate the temperature variation to one variable. Unlike canonical, well-controlled teaching laboratories, these temperature measurements are a function of numerous variables. In their presentations students are forced to account for and/or rationalize the effects of “unintended” X factors on their temperature measurements."

  1. 1. Typical protocols for temperature measurement:

     2. Hold calibrated probe one approximately 1m above ground and arm’s length away from body.

     3. Do not make measurements within 3 feet of a building.

     4. Shade probe with an umbrella or other suitable device.

     5. Wait at least 30 seconds and for thermometer display to stabilize.

• Sample X-Factor Graphs

(5) Mitigating the Heat Island Effect

HS-ESS2-4 Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate.

HS-ESS3-4 Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.*

Heat Island Mitigation strategies - Create a collaborative slideshow highlighting ways to mitigate the urban heat islands