Geography

Concepts to cover

1. Insolation and its variation: Earth-Sun distance, angle of incidence, day length, transparency, aspect
2. Spectrum of insolation: short-wave solar and long-wave terrestrial radiation; infrared absorption by water vapour and carbon dioxide
3. Heating of the atmosphere from below: terrestrial radiation, conduction, convection, advection
4. Heat budget of the planet, albedo and the balance of radiation
5. Greenhouse effect of the atmosphere on the Earth's mean temperature
6. Latitudinal surplus and deficit of heat and its transfer by winds and currents
7. Atmospheric scattering of sunlight: blue sky, red sunrise and sunset, and wavelength-dependent transmission