Editing Atmospheric physics (section)

== Radiation ==
[[Image:seasons.svg|frame|right|This is a diagram of the seasons.  In addition to the density of incident light, the [[dissipation]] of light in the [[Earth's atmosphere|atmosphere]] is greater when it falls at a shallow angle.]]
{{See also|Radiation|Effect of sun angle on climate}}
Atmospheric physicists typically divide radiation into solar radiation (emitted by the sun) and terrestrial radiation (emitted by Earth's surface and atmosphere).

Solar radiation contains variety of wavelengths. Visible light has wavelengths between 0.4 and 0.7&nbsp;micrometers.<ref>Atmospheric Science Data Center. [http://science-edu.larc.nasa.gov/EDDOCS/Wavelengths_for_Colors.html What Wavelength Goes With a Color?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720105431/http://science-edu.larc.nasa.gov/EDDOCS/Wavelengths_for_Colors.html |date=2011-07-20 }} Retrieved on 2008-04-15.</ref> Shorter wavelengths are known as the [[ultraviolet]] (UV) part of the spectrum, while longer wavelengths are grouped into the [[infrared]] portion of the spectrum.<ref>Windows to the Universe. [http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Atmosphere/earth_atmosph_radiation_budget.html Solar Energy in Earth's Atmosphere.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100131001838/http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Atmosphere/earth_atmosph_radiation_budget.html |date=2010-01-31 }} Retrieved on 2008-04-15.</ref> Ozone is most effective in absorbing radiation around 0.25&nbsp;micrometers,<ref name="UDE">[[University of Delaware]]. [http://www.udel.edu/Geography/DeLiberty/Geog474/geog474_energy_interact.html Geog 474: Energy Interactions with the Atmosphere and at the Surface.] Retrieved on 2008-04-15.</ref> where UV-c rays lie in the spectrum. This increases the temperature of the nearby [[stratosphere]]. Snow reflects 88% of UV rays,<ref name="UDE"/> while sand reflects 12%, and water reflects only 4% of incoming UV radiation.<ref name="UDE"/> The more glancing the angle is between the atmosphere and the [[sun]]'s rays, the more likely that energy will be reflected or absorbed by the [[atmosphere]].<ref>Wheeling Jesuit University. [http://www.cet.edu/ete/modules/ozone/ozatmo.html Exploring the Environment:  UV Menace.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830094306/http://www.cet.edu/ete/modules/ozone/ozatmo.html |date=August 30, 2007 }} Retrieved on 2007-06-01.</ref>

Terrestrial radiation is emitted at much longer wavelengths than solar radiation. This is because Earth is much colder than the sun.   Radiation is emitted by Earth across a range of wavelengths, as formalized in [[Planck's law]]. The wavelength of maximum energy is around 10 micrometers.