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One way that land and water differ when it comes to absorbing and losing heat is that water can do so by way of phase change - freezing, melting, evaporating, or condensing. Land tends to stay solid.
Water also tends to be much more reflective than land - not always, but in general it is. Land tends to be both a better absorber and radiator of heat.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoShort Answer:
Since there is so much more water than land, one expects that most of the solar energy absorbed by Earth is absorbed into the oceans. That is correct.
Crudely, twice as much energy is absorbed by the oceans as the land since there is roughly a bit more than twice as much ocean as land.
More Technical (Albedo):
The characterization of how much solar energy is absorbed by a portion of the surface of the Earth is something called the albedo of the surface. Some surfaces, like dirt, forests and the ocean absorb most of the Sun's energy. Others, like Snow reflect most of it. Deserts are in between.
The albedo of a surface is the fraction of light it reflects. (The term "reflects" does not mean like a mirror but rather means scatters or causes to light bounce back to distinguish "reflection" from the process where light is absorbed.) Normally, one refers to sunlight when quoting an albedo, but if a different or specific wavelength range is being considered, there are different values of the albedo that are defined for different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
On average, the ocean surface has a low albedo meaning it absorbs most of the light that gets to it.
The same is true for bare soil and most forests.
Though the albedo is variable, 70 or 80 % of the light is absorbed.
Desert areas typically have high albedos and can reflect most of the light.
Most land areas are in an albedo range of 0.1 to 0.4, so 90% to 60% of the light is absorbed.
The average albedo of the Earth is about 0.3, somewhat higher than typical of oceans or much of the land area primarily because of the contribution of clouds.
Clouds reflect light very effectively, absorbing little.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoThat ability - called the heat capacity - is lower for air, meaning air is much more easily heated and cooled.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoLand warms up (absorbs heat) and cools down (releases heat) more quickly than water.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoIt absords more energy.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agomore
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoWater.
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If Specific heat of water is greater than that of land This means?
Water heats and cools slower than land. It is because the specific heat is the amount of heat that it takes to be raised to a certain temperature. If the heat is higher it would take longer to heat and cool. That is my interpretation anyways.
Would air pressure be greater over the ocean or over land?
Early in the day, the land is quite cold as it has lost its heat overnight. Therefore it is more dense and has a greater air pressure. However, as the day progresses, the air above the land will be very hot, less dense, and hence have a lower pressure. As a result, the air above the ocean has a greater air pressure later in the day.
Which holds heat longer land or water?
land
Does the sun heat the land or the air more?
land
What holds heat longer air or land?
the land
If Specific heat of water is greater than that of land This means?
Water heats and cools slower than land. It is because the specific heat is the amount of heat that it takes to be raised to a certain temperature. If the heat is higher it would take longer to heat and cool. That is my interpretation anyways.
Do isotherms show a greater seasonal shift over land or ocean?
Isotherms, which are lines connecting areas with the same average temperature, generally exhibit a greater seasonal shift over land compared to the ocean. This is because land heats up and cools down more quickly than the ocean due to differences in heat capacity and heat transfer mechanisms. Therefore, the temperature variation on land between seasons is usually more pronounced than that over the ocean.
Which is greater land or water?
Water has a larger surface area on the earth. Land has a greater mass.
Would air pressure be greater over the ocean or over land?
Early in the day, the land is quite cold as it has lost its heat overnight. Therefore it is more dense and has a greater air pressure. However, as the day progresses, the air above the land will be very hot, less dense, and hence have a lower pressure. As a result, the air above the ocean has a greater air pressure later in the day.
How can sea temperature change a hurricane?
As I understand it, hurricanes develop, and enlarge as a result of absorbing ENERGY in the form of HEAT from the water over which they travel.Therefore, the greater the heat, the greater the chances of a hurricane growing larger and more violent. And the converse of that is also true: As the temperature of the mass [water or land] over which the hurricane travels decreases, the greater the tendency for it to weaken and dissipate.
Why does water have a greater specific heat over then sand?
water has a greater specific heat than sand becasue it takes longer to heat up than sand does
Which has a greater specific heat capacity - water or sand?
Water has a greater specific heat.
How are the amount of heat transferred and the change in temperature of water related?
Hi, heat transferred = mass x specific heat capacity x rise/fall in temperature If heat is lost then fall in temperature If heat is gained then rise in temperature. More the transfer then greater the difference in temperature.
Which holds heat longer land or water?
land
Does the sun heat the land or the air more?
land
What holds heat longer air or land?
the land
Which dissipates heat more quickly land or water?
Land heats and cools faster than water.
