Why is convection important in the atmosphere

Once cooled enough, the water then sinks back to the bottom of the saucepan where the cycle is repeated, and the convective overturning continues. Convection is a vital process which helps to redistribute energy away from hotter areas to cooler areas of the Earth, aiding temperature circulation and reducing sharp temperature differences.

Without convection simple tasks such as boiling water in a kettle would be much slower as only the water directly in contact with the heat ring at the bottom of the kettle would be able to be heated, with the water at the top staying cool. Convection is the movement of particles through a substance, transporting their heat energy from hotter areas to cooler areas. Instead energy is passed from one particle to another upon contact, transferring heat.

As a result, conduction in liquids and gases is a much slower process than convection, as particles are free to move and direct contact is reduced. However, conduction is much more effective in solids than convection, as the particles are densely packed, continuously touching one another to allow an efficient transfer of heat.

Additionally, in solids particles fixed and unable to move, stopping the transfer of energy via convection. Convection within the atmosphere can often be observed in our weather. If conditions allow, this air can continue to rise, cooling as it does so, forming Cumulus clouds. Stronger convection can result in much larger clouds developing as the air rises higher before it is cooled, sometimes producing Cumulonimbus clouds and even thunderstorms. Convection is the rising motion of warmer areas of a liquid or gas, and the sinking motion of cooler areas of liquid or gas, sometimes forming a complete cycle.

Everyday Examples of Convection radiator — A radiator puts warm air out at the top and draws in cooler air at the bottom. Convection is the movement of heat because of the movement of warm matter. For example, atmospheric circulation moves warm air to cool places, causing wind. Wind, in turn, can enter and cool a room if the window is open. A convection current is a process that involves the movement of energy from one place to another. It is also called convection heat transfer.

The convection currents tend to move a fluid or gas particles from one place to another. Answer: The main cause of global convection currents is the uneven heating of the earth by the sun. Convection happens because warm air is less dense than the cold air around it, so it is lighter and rises or goes up in the atmosphere. There is a constant balancing act going on all the time in our atmosphere as moist, warm air goes upward and cooler, denser air moves down.

Air moving between large high and low pressure systems at the bases of the three major convection cells creates the global wind belts. Smaller pressure systems create localized winds that affect the weather and climate of a local area. Also, studies show that, up to a certain point, crops and other plants grow better in the presence of higher carbon dioxide levels and seem to be more drought-tolerant. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel.

Skip to content Home What is convection and why is it important? Ben Davis May 27, What is convection and why is it important? What are the uses of convection? About 3 percent of the energy that strikes the ground is reflected back into the atmosphere. The rest is absorbed by rocks, soil, and water and then radiated back into the air as heat. These infrared wavelengths can only be seen by infrared sensors. The answer is no although the next section contains an exception because energy from Earth escapes into space through the top of the atmosphere.

If the amount that exits is equal to the amount that comes in, then average global temperature stays the same. What happens if more energy comes in than goes out? If more energy goes out than comes in? The amount of incoming solar energy is different at different latitudes. Where do you think the most solar energy ends up and why? Where does the least solar energy end up and why?

But first the role of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere must be explained. Greenhouse gases warm the atmosphere by trapping heat. Some of the heat radiation out from the ground is trapped by greenhouse gases in the troposphere. Like a blanket on a sleeping person, greenhouse gases act as insulation for the planet.

The warming of the atmosphere because of insulation by greenhouse gases is called the greenhouse effect.