Category:Parameter Glossary

Basic Terms and Defintions

Now its time to learn the basic input variables used in KRC.

Thermal Inertia: the reluctance of a material to change temperature

Conductivity: how easily a material transports heat and energy through itself

Density: the amount of mass, or matter, contained within a specific volume

Specific Heat: The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a material

Input parameters: values given by the user, used in calculations within the model

Opacity: the translucence of a material

Albedo: The brightness of a material

Emissivity: The energy given off by a material

Slope: angle of incline of a surface above or below horizontal

Azimuth: direction of slope as measured starting from north and moving through east

L_S : The seasonal indicator. The Value used to distinguish the time of year. The time of year

Pressure: The force an object (liquid, solid or gas) places on another object.

Diurnal Temperature: Changes in temperatures that occur over the course of a day (i.e. daily temperatures).

Advanced Terms and Definitions

Single Layer Atmosphere: A thin, grey (meaning no wavelength dependence of any coefficients) atmosphere where, at any given time, the temperature is the same everywhere. Even though temperature can vary with time, the entire atmosphere varies together.

Two-Stream Delta-Eddington Model: Allows for two spectral regions in the atmosphere: solar and thermal

Solar Radiation: The energy reaching the surface from the sun itself

Thermal Energy: The energy reaching the surface from emission of the atmosphere.

Spin-Up: The time required for a model to run before it reaches statistical equilibrium.

Skin Depth: The depth to which diurnal or seasonal surface temperatures permeate into the surface.