Heat Transport by the Atmosphere

The atmosphere is dynamic and, together with the ocean, distributes heat around the globe. Heat energy is transferred between Earth’s surface and the atmosphere through several processes (radiation, conduction, convection).

Atmospheric heat transport also helps regulate heating at a regional scale. For example, suppose a forest is cleared to build a city. The albedo decreases (because of the darker building materials) and the plants’ cooling effect from evapotranspiration is lost; the region, therefore, heats up. However, the heat does not remain locally, but is spread over a much broader region because of atmospheric transport. The region heats up less overall than it would without atmospheric transport.

This graph illustrates how air temperature can vary between less- and more-forested regions.