Heat transfer in the atmosphere takes place due to four processes:
Conduction – The sun’s rays reach the earth as short waves. The incoming solar radiation is called as insolation. Insolation does not heat the atmosphere directly as it passes through. The earth’s surface gets heated due to insolation. This heat is transferred to the part of the atmosphere close to the hot surface of the earth.
Convection- Heated air expands and rises up. Cold air in the upper part of the atmosphere comes down, gets heated and rises up again. This circular process heats the atmosphere.
Advection – It is the horizontal transfer of heat through wind. Hot wind that blows to a region increases the temperature in that region. Similarly, cold wind that blows to a region reduces the temperature in that region.
Terrestrial Radiation- The re-radiation of energy from the surface of the earth back to the outer space in the form of long waves is called terrestrial radiation.
