Why the world does not get hotter

The world does not get hotter due to presence of atmospheric heat budget. Atmospheric heat budget is the balance between incoming insolation and outing terrestrial radiation this results to the absence of overheating and overcooling in the earth. After balancing incoming and outing radiation there is heat gain in tropical regions and heat loss in poles.

Absence of overheating in the earth’s surrounding is created by a mechanism of heat transfer. Heat transfer prevents the tropical regions from overheating and Polar Regions from overcooling. There are two ways of heat transfer including horizontal heat transfer and vertical heat transfer.

Vertical heat transfer, this involves the transfer of heat from the earth’s surface to the atmosphere through reflection. Due to reflection the world is prevented from being hotter. This is achieved through radiation, conduction and convection. All these prevent the world from getting hotter.

Conduction, this is the flow of heat from a warmer substance to a colder one when cold and warm substance attacking each other and this is sensible heat. As heat flows from warmer substance to become excessively hotter. Therefore conduction prevents the world from becoming hotter.

Convection, this is the transfer of heat vertically within a fluid. It transfers energy in two forms including latent heat and sensible heat. This also prevents the world from getting hotter.

Another way of heat transfer is horizontal heat transfer; horizontal heat transfer involves the transfer of heat away from tropical latitudes towards Polar Regions. Sunshine is more intense in equatorial and tropical regions unlike in Polar Regions but the equator do not grow hotter and Polar Regions do not grow colder due to presence of horizontal heat transfer. Horizontal heat is by winds and water movements.

Wind (Air movement), Air movement are estimated to make 80% of horizontal heat transfer. It is done by system of jet stream; Hurricanes and depressions. Wind lend to transfer heat warmer places to colder areas like equatorial regions from increasingly hotter and colder areas like polar regions from increasingly colder. Therefore the world does not get hotter due to presence of horizontal heat transfer by air movement.

Water movement (ocean currents), Ocean currents make 20% of horizontal heat transfer, Ocean currents is responsible in transferring heat from equatorial regions toward Polar Regions. This prevents equatorial regions from increasingly hotter and polar regions from increasingly colder as it reduces the amount of heat in equatorial regions. Hence, prevent the world from getting hotter.

Other factors which prevent the world from getting hotter are like evaporation. Condensation, presence of oxygen atomic gas in atmosphere and presence of water vapour and ozone layer in the atmosphere:-

Evaporation, Evaporation increases the rate of horizontal heat transfer from low to high latitude. During evaporation moisture is carried into atmosphere due to sun’s heat causing air to rise in convectional currents. The rise of air into atmosphere helps in reducing amount of heat in the world. Also evaporation is a process by which moisture is lost directly into atmosphere from water surface and soil due to effect of air movement and sun’s heat. Thus reduces amount of heat on the world.

Condensation, this is the process by which water vapour changes into minute water droplets when air reaches a dew point in presence of hydroscopic nuclei. The condensed water vapour combine to form clouds as a mass of larger water droplets suspended in air. This prevents direct reaching of sun’s heat into the world. Thus prevent the world from becoming hotter.

Presences of clouds, clouds affect the flow of radiation by reflecting sun’s heat. It tends to absorb radiant rays before reaching on the world. Therefore it tends to regulate the temperature on the earth. Presence of Ozone layer in the atmosphere, Ozone layer avoid high rate of temperature rise in the world as it absorb sun rays and prevent it to reach directly on the world. Hence it prevents the world to get hotter.

Presence of water vapour in atmosphere, Water vapour is responsible in absorbing heat from the sun thus it reduces amount of heat reaching in the world. It reduces overheating in the world. 

Conclusion, the world does not get hotter due to presence of horizontal and vertical heat transfer. Also due to presence of evaporation, condensation, radiation and presence of clouds

REFERENCES

Critchfield, H. J. (1974), General Climatology, 3rdEdition, Prentice Hall, Inc., Egglewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

Henderson-Sellers, A. & Robinson, P., 1986, Contemporary Climatology. Longman.